Avenging Heart
by Spirit Avenger
Summary: A warrior of justice has a personal score to settle with the Church of Zakarum, and woe to the evil that stands in his way. I invented a new character class for this story, and the first chapter is a description of this class...Please read and review
1. Character Class Info

Disclaimer--I do not own Diablo II or any concepts related to it.  
  
SLAYER  
  
As long as the forces of good and evil have fought against one another, countless innocents have suffered and died at the hands of evil, both mortal and demon. It has always been the practice of these evil beings to persecute those weaker than themselves rather than risk being defeated by a stronger opponent. The victims were almost always helpless, as they are unable to fight back against their persecutors. However, in the past few centuries, there have been tales of mysterious warriors that aid the innocent and wreak swift justice upon their victimizers. They function as both bodyguards and avengers. Village leaders all over Sanctuary covet these men as defenders, and they are highly sought as mercenaries as well, though they will only fight in the name of justice. Countless Zakarum Inquisitors, tyrannical mages, and overzealous Assassins have fallen at the hands these mythical fighters; they are so effective and determined, they are commonly referred to as Slayers. Though most of their opponents have been mortals, they have become appalled at the atrocities committed by the three Prime Evils and their minions, and many have declared personal wars against the evil.  
  
Slayers are experts with daggers and have the unusual ability to inflict severe damage with them. They depend heavily upon their ability to land blows precisely and swiftly, while avoiding wounds themselves and not being impeded when they are hit. In addition to their superb combat skills, they have incredibly strong minds that can manipulate spiritual energy, electricity, and time and space themselves.  
  
SKILLS {req. level--prerequisites}  
  
==Physical Skills==  
  
-Dagger Mastery {1}  
While most warriors consider the dagger to be of little use in severe combat, Slayers have perfected the use of it as a primary weapon.  
Passive--increases damage and attack rating  
  
-Hurl {1}  
Sometimes a warrior becomes so attached to his/her weapon, the weapon can appear to act on its own.  
Hurl a dagger at opponent; inflicts same damage as a melee attack and returns. If dual-wielding, which daggers is thrown depends on whether the skill is used on the left or right mouse button  
  
-Swiftness {6--Hurl}  
A Slayer's success depends upon his ability to attack successfully and quickly.  
Passive--increases attack speed  
  
-Gash {6--Dagger Mastery, Hurl}  
An exceptionally deep wound can bleed uncontrollably.  
Successful attack causes opponent to lose life over a duration  
  
-Spirit Kick {12--Hurl, Swiftness}  
If a Slayer learns how to channel his spiritual energy properly, he can gather up a large amount discharge it on an opponent in a single blow.  
Kick that adds magic damage and knockback  
  
-Concentrated Strike {12--Dagger Mastery, Hurl, Swiftness, Gash}  
An exceptionally damaging wound can leave one unable to attack or even move.  
Stunning attack, adds physical damage and increases attack rating  
  
-Dash {18--Hurl, Swiftness}  
Well-trained Slayers can run past opponents so fast, any attacks on their part would be futile.  
Resembles Teleport, but can only be done across open ground, unless Traverse is used as well  
  
-Will {18--Dagger Mastery, Hurl, Gash, Swiftness, Concentrated Strike}  
A strong will can enable one to avoid attacks much more easily.  
Passive--increases defense rating  
  
-Assault {24--Dagger Mastery, Hurl, Swiftness, Gash, Concentrated Strike, Dash, Will}  
Some of the best opponents fall before landing a single blow.  
Devastating six-blow attack--two dagger slashes, three kicks, and a stab; doubles dagger damage  
  
-Determination {24--Hurl, Swiftness, Concentrated Strike, Will}  
In his passion to defend the innocent, very few things can hold the Slayer back.  
Passive--Increases hit recovery  
  
-Guerilla {30--Dagger Mastery, Hurl, Swiftness, Gash, Concentrated Strike, Dash, Will, Assault, Determination}  
One Slayer versus fifteen experienced warriors; those odds are unfair...for the warriors.  
Dashes to several opponents, hitting each with a double dagger attack; adds magic damage equal to physical damage  
  
==Mind Skills==  
  
-Psychic Current {1}  
The human body is filled with latent electrical impulses that can be manipulated by an exceptional mind.  
Grab an opponent with both hands and send an electric current through its body. Deals lightning damage per second.  
  
-Cripple {6}  
Just as a strong body can overpower a weak one, so can a strong mind a weak mind and hinder its functions.  
Reduces attack speed and attack rating of all opponents on screen  
  
-Ranged Current {12--Psychic Current}  
It takes some skill to conduct electricity through a body but a lot to conduct it through air.  
Deals lightning damage per second to an opponent from any distance  
  
-Chi Blast {12--Psychic Current, Cripple, Ranged Current}  
Slayers learn how to charge up their spiritual energy and direct it at an opponent's very being.  
Charge up over time to deal magic damage and stun  
  
-Inner Strength {18}  
A Slayer trains not only his body, but also his mind.  
Passive--increases mana  
  
-Influx {18--Psychic Current, Cripple, Ranged Current, Chi Blast}  
Life force can be drained from other beings and corrupted into pure deadly energy.  
Drains a percentage of life from all opponents on screen and deals damage equal to the sum of all life drained to a chosen target  
  
-Chain Current {24--Psychic Current, Cripple, Ranged Current, Chi Blast, Influx}  
Many a powerful lightning sorceress has been shamed by a well-trained Slayer's ability to shock multiple opponents for an extended duration.  
Deals lightning damage per second to several opponents; resembles Chain Lightning  
  
-Awakening {24--Inner Strength, Influx}  
If one can reach into the mind of oneself and one's allies, s/he can awaken abilities previously unknown.  
Raises a party's skill levels for a duration of time  
  
-Convert {30}  
While a Slayer seeks to deliver justice to evil, he also believes fervently in redemption for even the most evil of creatures and that a spark of decency exists in everyone. He can, at a great sacrifice to himself, touch the mind of an opponent with full awareness of evil itself and drive the opponent to renounce it in the name of goodness.  
Can convert a monster permanently. A converted monster functions just like a mercenary (levels up, can be resurrected, can be equipped, is available even after a game is exited, etc.); can have regular mercenary in addition to this one. Costs -10 to all attributes. Extra levels add passive bonuses to life and defense, which will be applied to current converts as well as future ones  
  
-Heal {30--Psychic Current, Cripple, Ranged Current, Chi Blast, Influx, Inner Strength, Awakening}  
The best Slayers are able to replenish the life, stamina, and spiritual energy of their allies and themselves, exhausting themselves mentally in the process.  
Restores full life, stamina, and mana to all party members (except doesn't restore your own mana). Costs seventy-five percent of total mana  
  
==Distortion Skills==  
  
-Tatter {1}  
Mind is ultimately more powerful than matter, and it can weaken the very forces that hold particles of matter together. This proves very useful when an opponent is wearing armor.  
Reduces defense of opponents for a duration  
  
-Ranged Strike {6--Tatter}  
Slayers have been known to bend space itself, and the space between a Slayer and his opponent can seem to not even exist.  
A melee attack dealt from afar; adds magic damage as a percentage of physical damage  
  
-Light Bending{6}  
Sorceresses can move objects telekinetically, but what if one could do the same with light?  
Surrounds all opponents in a radius with a cloak of darkness, rendering them unable to see a character and his/her allies  
  
-Hold {12--Light Bending}  
A determined Slayer can keep his equipment intact when it would have otherwise broken long ago.  
Passive--equipment doesn't take as much damage over time  
  
-Traverse {18--Light Bending, Hold}  
Even gravity and matter can be made to defer to one's will.  
For a duration, all party members may pass through walls, over streams, etc.  
  
-Deficiency{18--Tatter}  
An opponent is in dire straits indeed if s/he cannot heal.  
Renders all opponents within a radius unable to heal for a duration  
  
-Vulnerability {24--Tatter, Deficiency}  
A Slayer's domination over matter can affect flesh to drastically increase its conductivity, make it more volatile, raise its freezing temperature, or speed its metabolism.  
Decreases opponents' Elemental and Poison Resistances for a duration  
  
-Retribution {24--Tatter, Ranged Strike, Deficiency}  
A Slayer's zeal for justice pervades his own being, as well as those of all nearby.  
Passive--twenty-five percent chance to return any type of damage; applies to all party members  
  
-Harden {30--Tatter, Ranged Strike, Deficiency, Vulnerability, Retribution}  
Just as the body can be made more vulnerable, it can also be made more resistant.  
Increases party members' resistances for a duration  
  
-Duplication {30--Light Bending, Hold, Traverse}  
The mental prowess of a Slayer is such that he can endow light with the ability to act as if possessed of free will.  
Creates duplicates of all party members, indicated by a glow beneath their feet. Cannot deal or receive damage, but only last temporarily 


	2. First Taste

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 1  
  
The lone figure stepped through the wet grass, softly but swiftly. His gaze was directed immediately forward into the darkness ahead, barely even able to see where he was walking with the poor light from his ring. At that moment, he turned his ring to where the stone faced down, eliminating the light completely. He figured he could see just as well by the starlight and would be less vulnerable to any potential attackers; now, his dark green armor and clothing blended very well into the shadowy forest background. Continuing to pace forward, he kept one hand near a dagger, ready to draw at a moment's notice.  
  
As he walked, he noticed a light in the distance. A camp of sorts? He thought. He was tired and hungry and wanted to rest and eat, but he wasn't sure whether the inhabitants were friendly.  
  
He padded softly to the trees closest to the camp and hid behind one. He squinted his eyes and saw a fire in the middle of the camp. It was inhabited all right, but not by men. The inhabitants had dark red skin, horns, and severely twisted forms. One turned, and he could see its ugly face, yellow eyes, and sharp teeth. They seemed to be armed with crude swords and maces.  
  
He suddenly heard a feminine yell and looked closer. What he saw was horrifying: four nearly nude women tied to posts, covered in wounds and blood. But that was not as terrible as what he saw next. One of the creatures was holding a stick that was still glowing on the end, and it pressed the end of the stick into a woman's flesh. As she screamed in agony, the other creatures giggled in perverse ecstasy.  
  
The young man clenched his teeth together tightly and began to breathe harder and faster. As his mind flashed back to a year ago, he could feel rage building inside him at this cruelty. You beasts! He thought. How dare you inflict such torment on someone? He could feel the blood racing inside his body, and his hand flew to his dagger.  
  
Then, he stopped. No, you mustn't let rage control you, or you will fail. You must use this energy wisely. He imagined his rage as a red ball of energy within his chest, and he pictured it glowing more and more brightly as his anger built. Then, he imagined it changing color, into a bright white, exploding outward to engulf his entire body. Though just as energized, he felt more focused and attentive. To the creatures, he thought, Your horrific deeds will end NOW!  
  
He slipped off his pack, then drew both his daggers and held each to his head, meditating and imbuing them with some of his own life essence. Then, he picked out two stationary targets and concentrated on those two, hurling both daggers simultaneously. Each landed in the backs of their heads and they fell over dead. He moved nimbly into the camp boundaries and held out his hands. Both daggers dislodged and flew to his waiting hands.  
  
Before the creatures could react, he ran into the crowd and stabbed two more in their throats, then leaned over and delivered a swift double kick to two more. The creatures were now ready and two flew at the man. He crossed his daggers and caught a sword, dodged a mace, and kicked the mace- wielder square in the abdomen, sending him reeling. He used his left-hand dagger to push the sword aside, and slashed the creature's throat with his right-hand dagger. Just as the other creature was getting ready to swing its mace again, the man knocked the mace out of its hand with an outward kick and thrust a dagger into his heart. He saw four more creatures coming at him, two at a time. He ran forward holding his daggers above his head. Just when he was within arm's length of the first two attackers and they started to swing, he jumped in the air, embedded each dagger in one's head, and used the leverage to propel himself over the last two, landing behind them. No sooner than he landed, he slit their ankle tendons, then got up and delivered a spin kick that knocked both down. He then performed another flip and landed with each dagger in one's back, then put himself upright once more.  
  
Suddenly, he felt his right arm burning and groaned in pain, but only for a second. He turned around to see a creature that resembled the others, but was taller, wore a headdress, and wielded a knife. A mage of sorts? He thought. But, he didn't plan on letting it cast anymore spells. As he strode up to make the kill, he thought, something about these creatures seems familiar.  
  
However, his stride was prevented by a sharp mace blow to his right shoulder. He howled in pain and turned to see two more creatures behind him. They looked a lot like two of the creatures he'd just killed. Then, he looked back to the "mage." Of course! He thought. Fallen Ones! Hell's lowest ranking demons. It all made sense then; he was fighting Fallen Ones, and the one who'd hit him with a fireball was a shaman, who could also resurrect his soldiers. He then decided he'd better take out the shaman first so it couldn't resurrect anything else.  
  
He turned and kicked both demons, then ran to the shaman, dodging fireballs. When he was within melee range, the shaman slashed outward and gashed the young man's right arm. He ignored the pain, as the shaman had left himself open, and used his right hand to deflect the shaman's arm while stabbing it in the side. Then, he kicked it in the face, and stabbed it again, that time in the neck. As it fell dead, he immediately started towards the last two Fallen Ones.  
  
The first ran at him with a mace, and managed to knock the daggers out of his hand. He grabbed its mace arm and twisted it until it let go of the mace. He then picked it up and threw it at the other, dazing it. He broke the arm he was holding, kneed it in the stomach, and threw it on the ground face down. He straddled its back, grabbed its head, and twisted sharply, then ran to retrieve his daggers.  
  
He managed to pick up one before the demon kicked the other away. He rolled to the side to avoid a descending sword and sweep one leg sideways to trip the demon. Falling, the demon lost the grip on its sword, and the man quickly grabbed it, then got up and planted it in the Fallen One's back. "When you get to Hell, tell your master to remember my name. Shadowblade!" 


	3. Meeting the Rogues

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 2  
  
In spite of his own physical pain, Shadowblade's first priority was the well-being of the women. He walked over to the nearest and checked her neck pulse. Dead. He went to the next. Dead. And the next. Dead. His heart became heavier as he went to the last one. He checked her pulse with one hand while crossing his fingers with the other, and.he detected a pulse. "She's alive. Thank Heaven!"  
  
He immediately moved to undo her bonds. As he did so, he heard a moan. She opened her eyes, then yelled "Who are you? Get away from me!"  
  
Shadowblade backed away obediently, but tried to reassure her. "It's okay. I'm a friend, and I only want to help." She looked at him skeptically.  
  
He ran and got his pack, then pulled out a vial of red liquid. "This is a healing potion, and I'm going to give it to you, instead of myself." She did not look entirely convinced, but opened her mouth so he could administer the potion. She let out a sigh of relief as her terrible wounds began to heal. Shadowblade ran away again, and she hollered out "Wait!"  
  
He returned carrying a Fallen One on his back, and he threw it on the ground in front of her. "Aaah! Get it away from me!"  
  
Shadowblade looked at her compassionately and said, "I know how you feel, and I'm sorry I had to, but I just needed to prove to you that I'm on your side. I slew the entire camp so I could rescue you and the rest."  
  
Her expression softened, and she asked "My sisters. . .are they. . . ?"  
  
"I'm sorry, they're already dead. I only wish I had arrived sooner. I just thank the heavens I was able to save you. Now, if you will let me untie these bonds. . ."  
  
"Okay," she relented, and in a few seconds, Shadowblade had freed her. He walked over to the nearest tent, and cut off a large piece of fabric, then brought it to the former captive. "Here, he said, you may use this as a clothing until we can get something better."  
  
She took it and said, "Thank you." After tying it around her body, she turned back to her rescuer. "What is your name?"  
  
"Shadowblade. You?"  
  
"I am Aliza."  
  
"Very well. Would you like to do anything for the others? Any burial or last rites of sorts?"  
  
Aliza looked pained and said "We shouldn't stay around long enough for a burial, but a prayer to the Great Eye is the least we can do." They both knelt before the other three and Aliza lead a prayer in their honor.  
  
"We'd better get you back to your home. You may lead the way, and I'll protect you if anything else comes along." Aliza suddenly ran to one of the bodies and looked in the pouch, pulling out a healing potion. She took it to Shadowblade, who seemed hesitant at first. "It's okay, she would have wanted me to help you." He relented and drank the potion, savoring the disappearance of his shoulder and arm wounds.  
  
"Let's now be off," said Aliza, and they went on their way.  
  
***  
  
Shadowblade noticed more light in the distance and a compound of sorts. He looked apprehensive. "It's okay," whispered Aliza. "This is the place." Suddenly, she fainted and fell to the ground.  
  
"Must be exhausted," he muttered. Shadowblade picked Aliza up and carried her the rest of the way in his arms.  
  
When he arrived at the entrance of the compound, a deep feminine voice yelled down to him. "Stop where you are! Who are you?"  
  
He looked up to see a woman with a ponytail, reddish leather armor, and a nocked arrow pointed directly at him. "I am a friend, and I mean you no harm. I tried to rescue four of your comrades, though I could only save this one. Her name is Aliza, and she told me she's your 'sister'. She is weak and needs attention right away."  
  
The archer looked at him for a moment and replied "You may enter." However, she kept her arrow at the ready.  
  
Shadowblade carried Aliza into the compound and handed her unconscious body to the two waiting women. "You wait here," one said.  
  
He waited, and after thirty minutes, an old lady in purple robes approached him. She held out her hand and he accepted it. Then, she spoke. "On behalf of the Sisterhood, I extend our most sincere thanks for rescuing Aliza, as well as for the kindness she claims you showed her."  
  
"It was nothing, my lady. It was the only just thing to do." Shadowblade smiled at her. "With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"  
  
"I am Akara, priestess of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye."  
  
Then, it dawned on him. "You mean the Rogues?" She nodded. "But shouldn't you be in the Monastery?"  
  
Akara nodded sadly. "We were, yes, but we had to leave."  
  
"Why, if I would not impose by asking?"  
  
"Our Monastery was invaded by hordes of demons, and we were unable to fight them off," she explained. "In fact, it was almost similar to what happened in Tristram recently. We tried to help but were unsuccessful there as well."  
  
Shadowblade tried to remember what he knew about that. "Tristram. . .Isn't that where Diablo, the Lord of Terror, was defeated years ago?"  
  
"Yes, but apparently the demons returned, and the hero who slew Diablo disappeared. Strangely, a mysterious wanderer appeared in our monastery and left shortly before we were invaded by the demons."  
  
"Where are the demons coming from?"  
  
"We believe it to be the work of Andariel," said Akara.  
  
"The Maiden of Anguish?" asked Shadowblade. She nodded again. "So SHE is responsible for what happened to your sisters?"  
  
"Yes, and sadly, that sight is not uncommon at all around these parts. If that's not bad enough, she's even managed to corrupt many of our sisters, turning them against us as well. I fear her victory is moving ever closer to being realized." A tear slid down her cheek.  
  
Before Shadowblade could offer any consolation, a younger and colder voice spoke. "Well, well. What have we here?" 


	4. New Assignment

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 3  
  
Shadowblade and Akara turned to see an early middle-aged woman in chain mail, and she spoke again. "What would you have with us, outlander? We have no time to fool around."  
  
Akara spoke up sharply. "Kashya! Hold your tongue! This young man risked his life to save four of our lost sisters and took the time to accompany the one who lived back to our camp."  
  
"Forgive me," said Kashya, with a bit of resentment in her voice. "I am grateful to you for returning Aliza. However, I do ask that you understand our dire straits and limited resources. You will have yet to prove yourself to me." With that, she turned and strode away.  
  
"Who is she?" asked Shadowblade.  
  
"She is the sisters' battle commander. Her devotion and skill are unparalleled, but her emotions tend to get the better of her lately. She has been severely demoralized by seeing her sisters turn to Andariel, especially her closest friend. I fear this could be her undoing if the tides don't turn in our favor soon," Akara explained.  
  
"How awful. I wish there were something more I could do." Akara's face brightened for a second, and she tried to subdue it, but Shadowblade saw it right away. "What is it? If I can help, please let me know."  
  
"Oh, I can't," said Akara. "Too many of our sisters have died for this cause already, and I can't ask you to risk your life as well. You've done more than enough for us already."  
  
"Please tell me. I live to fight injustice, and I can't think of a better word for what the demons have inflicted upon the Sisterhood. It would be a privilege to help you," Shadowblade insisted.  
  
"Very well," began Akara. "Andariel's forces are coming closer to our camp every day, surely planning to attack eventually. Their forces are stationed in a cave, which we refer to as the Den of Evil. If that cave could be cleared, it would paralyze their offensive."  
  
That was all he needed to hear. "Then I will clear the cave tomorrow."  
  
"If you insist. Though I will never forgive myself if you are lost as well. You will at least accept a reward from me if you succeed."  
  
"If that is your pleasure, my lady. I will help you in any way I can." Akara smiled at Shadowblade gratefully and returned to her tent.  
  
*** As dusk was nearing, Shadowblade paced the camp, enjoying some bread, meat, and ale Warriv had seen fit to bestow upon him. He came across a young lady working on a tent and stopped.  
  
"Aliza! You should not be exerting yourself after your ordeal."  
  
She smiled at him. "It is well. Akara is an excellent healer, and I am perfectly fine now. I'll be damned if I don't provide you with the best accommodation I can offer after what you did for me."  
  
He knew better than to protest. "Then, thank you very much."  
  
"I don't believe I even thanked YOU properly, but I will do so right here. Thank you for helping me. I will help you in any way I can." With that, Aliza gave him a deep hug. She then looked him in the face. "You never told us anything about yourself. Where are you from, anyway, and where were you headed?"  
  
"I'm from Westmarch," Shadowblade explained. "And I'm headed to Kurast."  
  
Aliza looked shocked. "Kurast? Wherefore? Heaven only knows how long it will take you to get there."  
  
"Heaven only knows every step of the journey will be worth it. The Church of Zakarum tried to convert my homeland, and I have unfinished business with them." Damn! He thought. I've already said too much. I had best remain silent from this point forward.  
  
"Well, I wish you the best of luck with your goals," Aliza told him. She then changed the subject. "I hear you are going to try to clear the cave tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"Then good luck on that, too. We'll all say prayers to the Great Eye for you."  
  
"You're too kind."  
  
"Only glad to help. Now, you'd better get to sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, I suppose I should. Goodnight, Aliza." Shadowblade headed into his tent.  
  
"Goodnight, Shadowblade." Aliza started away, then called back, "Hey, can I just call you Shadow?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Aliza smiled and walked away. 


	5. Den of Evil

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 4  
  
The next morning, Shadowblade awoke, donned his armor, and sheathed his daggers. He then walked over to Akara's tent to let her know he was about to leave. He arrived at the tent to find Aliza speaking with Akara. He thought, her mind, unlike her body, is probably still in need of healing. When they conversation ended, he spoke up.  
  
"My lady," he began. "I am going to leave now and clear the cave. It's just outside the encampment, correct?"  
  
"Yes," Akara replied. "However, I do wish you would let us loan you a better weapon. I fear your daggers will not be sufficient to fight the monsters you'll encounter."  
  
"Mother, if I may," began Aliza. "I believe those daggers were his only weapons when he fought the camp of Fallen Ones, so I imagine they will be sufficient."  
  
"Very well," said Akara. "But Shadowblade, at least accept this helm to protect your head." She walked over to a corner of her tent and pulled out a silvery helm, along with two scrolls-one with blue ribbon and one with red, and she then handed it to Shadowblade. "It's not much, but it will help protect you from head wounds. Also, you may use this blue scroll to open a portal back to camp if need be and the red one if you find an item that may have magical properties."  
  
"Thank you, my lady," he replied. "I shall return soon."  
  
***  
  
As Shadowblade surveyed the Blood Moor with his eyes, he heard a noise, and his exceptionally well-honed reflexes enabled him to barely miss a sharp projectile. He turned around to see an angry Quill Rat. It fired another quill, which Shadowblade dodged again. He didn't want to get too close, so he decided to try a technique he'd heard of during his training.  
  
Shadowblade snapped his mind into a meditative state and imagined the space between himself and the Quill Rat as material. He then mentally compressed it and thrust his right-hand dagger outward in a stabbing motion. He looked toward the beast and saw it lying on the ground, blood pouring out of a hole in the front of its head. He felt satisfied, though a bit exhausted.  
  
He continued throughout the moor, hitting a few more Quill Rats with his ranged strike. Shadowblade suddenly saw a rock formation in the distance. He crept over to a nearer rock and hid behind it. He could see a hole in the rock. The cave, he thought. Unfortunately, there were also three creatures stationed near the mouth. Shadowblade squinted his eyes. They looked human, but appeared to be decaying.  
  
Zombies, he thought. Damn, they'll probably be more difficult than the Fallen Ones! But, I have to do this, or the Rogues will be as good as doomed.  
  
There were no more hiding places between him and the cave, so he decided to run over there before the undead guards could react and dispatch them. Shadowblade cleared his mind and relaxed his muscles. He quickly, yet thoroughly studied the ground and all its holes and bumps. When he felt comfortable, he rose from his hiding and began to run toward the cave mouth. Acutely aware of any obstacles and focused, he appeared a dark green blur as he sped toward the cave.  
  
He stopped behind one and stabbed it in the back. The zombie turned and slammed a fist into the side of Shadowblade's head. He fell down, but sprang up just as quickly and kicked the zombie square in the stomach, which caused it to expel a putrid green slime from its mouth. By then, the other two zombies were attacking as well.  
  
While the one was stunned, he ran backward a few feet and prepared another ranged strike. As soon as the space was warped, he performed a back flip and the two zombies reeled as if kicked in their faces. Shadowblade ran to the first, brought both his daggers down into the shoulder joints, and twisted sharply, dislocating both. He then noticed that the zombie had one knee locked, so he kicked it sharply and swept the creature off its feet, rendering it unable to get up.  
  
He was suddenly pushed to the ground and kicked in his side. Though the armor helped some, Shadowblade was knocked breathless. He rolled away and swept one foot outward, tripping both.  
  
One zombie was face down, so Shadowblade quickly crawled to it, grabbed the head, and twisted it off. The smell itself almost stunned him momentarily, but he rose quickly and faced the final zombie.  
  
It moved in and swiped, but Shadowblade dodged and hacked off one hand with a dagger blade. He then slashed the throat with the other, halfway severing it. Finally, he kicked it in the face, severing the head completely.  
  
He noticed some gold pieces and two potions, red and blue, near the fallen foes. Shadowblade picked everything up and recognized the red potion as healing, but couldn't think of what the blue one was for. Surely it will come to me soon, he thought.  
  
He took a moment to rest. No doubt this cave has plenty of zombies AND Fallen Ones, he thought. Oh, well. No use in wasting anymore time. Shadowblade crept into the cave and started to look around. He could see light around a corner and hear incomprehensible chatter.  
  
Just then, he felt a sharp pain in his arm and quickly turned his light ring outward again. He saw a Fallen One, wielding a sword stained with blood, his blood. "Rakanishu!" it yelled. Shadowblade could already make out the voices getting nearer.  
  
Damn! He thought. Now, all of them will be after me! He immediately kicked the sword from his attacker's hand and stabbed it in the throat, barely having time to dodge two incoming fireballs. He turned and saw a pack of ten to fifteen Fallen Ones and THREE shamans.  
  
Shadowblade heard a sound behind him and saw the Fallen One, alive and well once more, with a renewed bloodlust. If I kill two, he thought, they'll just come back to life while I work on the rest. I have to get the shamans first, but also quickly. In the next second, he remembered the locations of vital blood vessels. Mortals have them, he thought. Maybe demons do as well. In any event, it was his best chance.  
  
Using the same method he'd ambushed the zombies with, Shadowblade dashed to each shaman, and gashed it in a carefully chosen spot, then fled the crowd. As the demons approached him, he found himself slashing, stabbing, and kicking out left and right. . .all the while, dodging fireballs and avoiding corpses that might rise at any moment.  
  
The Fallen Ones seemed to overwhelm him, but he noticed that the fireballs and resurrections were becoming less frequent. One by one, he could see the shamans falling dead. He counted several Fallen corpses, but there were still seven of them left, in addition to four zombies that suddenly appeared.  
  
Too many to take on at once, he thought. Not fast enough to attack them all. Shadowblade then remembered his "invisibility" skill. He reached out with his mind and caught the light beams that reflected from his body and willed them to divert from the eyes of his foes.  
  
Several of the Fallen Ones cried out in shock as their victim seemed to vanish. Taking opportunity of this, Shadowblade quickly ran from foe to foe, slaying each. He sheathed his daggers, picked up a mace one had dropped, and smashed the heads of the zombies.  
  
As the battle finished, he suddenly fell from mental exhaustion. "Energy gone," he breathed. "Wish I had. . .mana potion." Suddenly, his face brightened. "Of course! That blue potion is a MANA potion." He took out the blue potion and drank half of it. Better let it naturally replenish some and save the rest, he thought.  
  
Feeling better, Shadowblade rose and headed further into the cave.  
  
***  
  
He dispatched many more monsters with his combination of swift blows, bleeding gashes, and light manipulation, though at a great cost to his spirit. Fortunately, he found a few more mana potions to counteract the exhaustion. He even found some more gold and some interesting items.  
  
One in particular that caught his attention was an exceptionally beautiful dagger, with a silver blade and black handle, with streaks of red down the middle. He decided to identify it. Shadowblade took out the red scroll and held it to the dagger. The scroll glowed faintly, and he opened it to read. Very nice, he said to himself. It inflicts more damage than normal and fire damage along with that. I believe I will start using this one.  
  
He unsheathed his left-hand dagger, the one that inflicted the least damage, and put it in his pack, only to replace it with his new item.  
  
Shadowblade moved along to come across a lighted clearing, filled with eight zombies, including one that was about six inches taller than the others and seemed to glow red, blue, and yellow. However, he took no notice of its difference from the others.  
  
He knew he didn't have enough energy to manipulate the light. They move fairly slowly, he thought. Surely I can dispatch them even if they can see me. Therefore, he immediately moved into the group.  
  
Shadowblade slashed two necks and knocked the heads off with his elbows. He then moved to the tallest zombie and kicked it in the abdomen. It didn't fall; instead it took a couple of steps backward but still stood. He decided to dislocate the shoulders as he'd done earlier, but as soon as he stabbed both shoulder joints, the zombie punched Shadowblade in the chest.  
  
He fell backward, and found he could barely move. He also felt as if his very bones were frozen. Before he could recover, two zombies kicked his side. With his speed impaired, he knew he needed to retreat for a moment, so he moved out of their sight.  
  
Hiding behind a rock, he saw the zombie walking about with the daggers in his shoulders. He tried to think of a strategy, but the cold seemed to cripple his mind as well.  
  
However, his body began to warm up, and with it, his mind. Shadowblade assessed the situation to himself. One, obviously the leader, of them is obviously stronger than the rest, so if I try to attack it, the others will overwhelm me. I have to kill the rest before I can take care of the leader. If I can't become invisible, perhaps I can reduce their effectiveness.  
  
Shadowblade assumed a meditative state and opened his mind to other life forces around him. He could sense consciousnesses, though weak, in the zombies' direction. He felt them mentally and gathered some negative energy. He continued to feel the zombies' "minds" until they were almost tangible and focused the negative energy at them. Then, he mentally cried, Release!  
  
All the zombies appeared to stagger for a second before resuming their patrol. Shadowblade left his hiding place and sped toward the group again. He took his daggers from the leaders' shoulders, but paid by receiving another blow, and he felt his arm burning. He ignored the pain and moved toward the other zombies.  
  
Shadowblade kicked one down, and quickly went to the ground long enough to twist the head off. He got back up and planted both his daggers in the heads of two more, taking his hand off one to put both on the other and slice the head open. He removed the dagger to see that the other's head had been burned irreparably. Must be the fire damage, he thought. He performed his slash and kick maneuver on the last two normal zombies, leaving the leader alone.  
  
He ran up to the zombie and slashed its face and chest, barely dodging a punch to his own chest. Shadowblade stepped back and delivered a swift double kick to its stomach and face, knocking it back a several steps, but not felling it. This isn't working, he thought. I've got to do better. Maybe if I can move really fast, I can disable it.  
  
He focused more clearly on the zombie and remembered its attack style. He relaxed his muscles and focused them, trying to enable himself to move even faster than normal. He began to feel more comfortable and was ready to attack.  
  
Shadowblade sheathed one dagger and raised the other high, running toward the zombie. As expected, the zombie raised its arm to block and he dropped the dagger, grabbed its arm, and quickly twisted it behind him until the shoulder was dislocated. He noticed the flesh was gone from the back of the zombie's neck and the spine was exposed. He unsheathed his dagger and jammed the blade between the vertebrae with all his remaining strength. The zombie groaned and fell to the ground.  
  
As a white light flooded the cave, Shadowblade bent down to retrieve both his daggers.  
  
"So much for the evil in THIS den." 


	6. Exploration

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 5  
  
A portal opened in the middle of the Rogue encampment and Shadowblade stepped out. A few eyes looked at him, but he went straight to Akara's tent. She stepped out to greet him, and he said, "My lady, the Den is cleared."  
  
Akara smiled. "Well, done. We are very grateful to you. Now, if you will step up closer, I will reward you."  
  
Shadowblade walked toward her, saying, "Oh, this isn't really necessary . . ." When he was standing directly in front of her, Akara put her hand on his head and closed her eyes. She glowed brightly for a second, and she removed her hand, the glow disappearing.  
  
"I have opened a new door in your mind, and you may use it to learn a new skill or improve a present one. Choose wisely, for it will only work once."  
  
"Thank you, my lady. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to go exploring in your lands. These creatures often yield treasures, which I could use on my journey, and fighting them seems to increase my effectiveness."  
  
"Very well," Akara began. "You are welcome to clear out any monsters in the Blood Moor, and you may go further, if you wish. However, I ask that you do not go too far, as it is very dangerous. Furthermore, if you have any items you do not need, any of the merchants in the camp, including myself, will be happy to buy them. Just about anything will be of use to us."  
  
Shadowblade thought about this for a moment and said, "Now that you mention it, I don't really need this armor." He pulled out a suit of quilted armor and handed it to her. "It's too light for my taste."  
  
"Well, I believe that's worth about nineteen gold pieces." Akara put the armor away and handed Shadowblade the gold. "Let me see your daggers." He obediently displayed them to her and noticed they looked a bit worn. "You should take those to Charsi, our blacksmith, and let her repair them."  
  
"Thank you," he said. "I will do that." With that, he headed to the blacksmith's area and introduced himself.  
  
"It's really nice to meet you," Charsi said. "Everybody in the camp is crazy about you. Well, except for Kashya, but I'm sure she'll come around. Now, I'll fix your daggers."  
  
Shadowblade watched as she hammered the blades and sharpened them. "All done," she said. He marveled at their new sharpness.  
  
"Wow, this is amazing. I really appreciate it. Here's some gold for your labor," he said and handed Charsi some gold pieces. "Well, I'll be off now. Bye!" They waved at one another as Shadowblade left the encampment.  
  
***  
  
As Shadowblade happily studied the gem he'd taken from a zombie a few minutes ago, he came upon an opening in the stone wall and saw a Rogue with an arrow pointed at him.  
  
"Don't shoot!" he yelled. "I'm not an enemy. I cleared out the Den of Evil for you and your sisters."  
  
She lowered her arrow. "Oh, you must be Shadowblade. You rescued Aliza and cleared out the den."  
  
He nodded. "That's me. And you are. . .?"  
  
"I'm Flavie. I am keeping watch over the entrance to the Cold Plains so I can alert the encampment should I see anything suspicious," she explained.  
  
He was interested in exploring that area. "Is it safe?"  
  
"Is anywhere?" Flavie answered with a smirk.  
  
"Fair enough. I guess I'll have to go see," said Shadowblade.  
  
"Just be careful," she said. "That area is populated with corrupted Rogues, and they are worse than zombies or Fallen Ones."  
  
"I will," he promised, and he passed into the Cold Plains.  
  
Shadowblade walked forward until he noticed a strange stone engraving on the ground. It appeared to be a circle with symbols, just like the one he saw in the Rogue encampment. He happened to be thinking about the encampment as he touched the circle, and the next thing he knew, he was back in the camp.  
  
Puzzled, he went to Akara's tent and explained what had happened. She listened and told him, "That was a waypoint. Anytime you find one, you can just think of another one and touch the current one, and you will be instantly transported to the other. Heaven bless the Horadrim for their ingenuity!"  
  
"Thank you, my lady. I am off, again." Shadowblade returned to the waypoint and transported himself back to the Cold Plains. When he materialized, he decided to head along the stone wall so he could find his way back easily.  
  
As he walked, he noticed that everything seemed a little too quiet. He noticed that the wall turned a corner and moved away from it so he could not be ambushed. Shadowblade continued in the same direction, ears open for any sound. As he got closer to the corner, he could hear some animal- like noises.  
  
Suddenly, five large ape-like figures burst from the corner, barreling straight for him. One was moving faster than the other four, and all had red circles glowing beneath their feet. He decided to face them.  
  
Each was about two feet taller than him and probably weighed five times as much. As the first one came at him, he decided to go for the head. He held his dagger above his head and jumped in the air to plant it in the creatures head, but a hard blow to his side knocked him to the ground, breathless. Another came up to him and kicked; Shadowblade tried to dodge it, but the creature was surprisingly accurate, and he coughed up blood.  
  
He managed to get up and dash several yards away. As he ripped a healing potion from his belt and gulped it down, he thought to himself, Since when can Wendigos fight so well? He then noticed the circles beneath their feet recognized them as auras. Apparently Hell can grant auras as well, thought Shadowblade. Must improve their aim. Now, it's corrupted beasts as well as damned paladins! This will require some strategy.  
  
He quickly decided the best way to stop them was to use the same strategy he'd used with the last zombies in the Den. Shadowblade quickly crippled them and charged them once more. As he did so, he remembered that his spirit felt stronger since the Den. Perhaps I can turn invisible for a while as well. He reached out to the light mentally and willed it away from his foes. They seemed a bit disoriented as their prey "disappeared."  
  
He took a dagger in each hand and ran at the nearest beast. Shadowblade planted the left-hand dagger in its chest and pushed himself upward, and he slashed its throat with the right-hand one. The others took notice and ran over, but he had removed his daggers and ran away. He came up behind another one and drove a blade between two of its neck vertebrae. The creatures seemed really angry then.  
  
Shadowblade felt his hold on the light slipping, and he came in front of two of them and gashed them as he had the shamans in the Den of Evil. Just then, they locked eyes with him, and he knew he was visible again. He fell to the ground again with a tremendous blow to his shoulder and looked up to see the leader staring down at him. He rolled away just in time to avoid being crushed under its foot, but he rolled into the dead body of the third beast.  
  
He got back up to see the fourth moving slowly, from losing blood, but still alive. He ran over to it and jumped in the air, planting the dagger in its head. As he struggled to remove it, the enraged leader slapped him to the side with all its strength. Shadowblade arose with a broken right arm and some ribs. As the leader lumbered toward him, he decided on a different plan. It would take some time to prepare, a few seconds, but every second was crucial. He gathered all his strength in his left arm and when the creature arrived, he thrust his dagger into the abdomen and the creature was stunned. He quickly concentrated on his body's natural electricity and drew it into his two hands.  
  
Shadowblade ran over to the beast and raised both hands toward its head, stifling a cry as his right arm screamed in pain. As both hands touched the beast's head, he willed the electricity to release. The creature shook violently and growled, and he nearly lost his grip, but he held on until he could hear no more growling. When he let go, the Wendigo fell backwards.  
  
Shadowblade noticed a few items, a wand and some potions, including a purple one. At that point, he didn't care what was in the bottle and drank it. His mind and body instantly felt better, and he drank half of a red one, sighing as the pain in his arm and ribs disappeared completely.  
  
He noticed a new opening in the distance and decided to check it out. Shadowblade moved closer to the opening and squinted his eyes. He could make out a fence and two buildings that looked like mausoleums and concluded it was a graveyard. Before he could go any further, he heard sounds of metal clashing with metal and ran behind a rock to investigate. 


	7. A New Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 6  
  
He saw two young men fighting. One, a few years older than he, had dark skin and was wearing ring mail, and he was wielding a shield and sword, socketed with amethysts. The other, about Shadowblade's age, had pale skin, short white hair, and black clothing. He has a smaller shield and a crude dagger. There were also two skeletons. Shadowblade looked to see which was winning.  
  
It appeared as if the white-haired man was afraid of the other and trying to flee. The dark-skinned man suddenly had a glow beneath his feet and slashed at the first skeleton's head, smashing it. He then blocked the other skeleton's sword with his shield and thrust his own into its chest, shattering it. A paladin! Thought Shadowblade.  
  
The paladin then advanced toward the white-haired man, with his sword raised. The white-haired man raised his shield and backed away, but he tripped and fell backwards. He barely managed to block two swings from the paladin, the second of which broke his small shield. The paladin swung again and gashed the other's leg.  
  
Shadowblade could see that the white-haired man was on the defensive and needed some assistance. As the paladin raised his sword for the death blow, Shadowblade lashed out psychically and delivered a jumping kick, which knocked the sword several yards from the paladin.  
  
He dashed to the scene and stood between the two men. The paladin, having retrieved his sword, was already advancing toward the other man again, and did not notice Shadowblade until he received a kick in his abdomen that knocked him back several feet. "What the hell are you doing?" the paladin yelled.  
  
Shadowblade stared him in the eyes and assumed a fighting stance. "Leave him."  
  
"What? Are you standing up for a vile death mage, one who defiles life itself?" The paladin was shocked beyond belief.  
  
A necromancer, thought Shadowblade. That explains the skeletons. "What has he done that you wish to kill him?" he asked.  
  
"What has he done?" screamed the paladin. "His very existence is an abomination and a transgression. An existence I intend to end now." His eyes then narrowed. "As well as that of any who stands in my way."  
  
"Then you will have to end MY existence to get to him!"  
  
"So be it."  
  
The paladin charged toward Shadowblade and swung his sword. Shadowblade crossed his daggers and caught the sword, but he staggered under the force of the blow. As he held the sword at bay, he kicked the paladin in the face. As he did so, he felt a tremendous blow to his side; both fell over stunned but quickly raised once more. The paladin came at him again, and he kicked outward in both directions with his feet-- deflecting both sword and shield, landed, and stabbed both the paladin's arms at weak points in the ring mail.  
  
As he kicked at his opponent's chest, the paladin's aura turned blue and he was barely affected by the kick. Shadowblade tried to stab him in neck, but the paladin easily dodged the blow. Shadowblade backed away and decided he'd need to weaken the paladin's armor. He imagined the particles composing the armor and willed them to separate. When he felt the paladin's armor weaken, he approached the holy warrior.  
  
The paladin moved to attack again, but Shadowblade dodged and slashed at the ring mail, rending it in several places and drawing blood. "That. . .that's impossible," sputtered the paladin. Before he could react, Shadowblade hit the ground and tripped him with a leg sweep before getting back up. As the paladin arose from the ground, Shadowblade kicked his helm hard, shattering it.  
  
He started to kick the paladin in the side, but he avoided the kick and got back on his feet, with a red aura. Shadowblade moved in with his daggers ready, but the paladin knocked both from his hands with a well-aimed sword sweep.  
  
Shadowblade tried to retrieve them but he had to focus his attention on avoiding the sword. Suddenly, the necromancer spoke up, "Here!" and he threw his own dagger to Shadowblade. "Try to just wound him with this. Trust me!"  
  
He first used it to parry sword thrusts while avoiding shield bashes. Shadowblade then managed to hold the sword aside with the dagger and the shield with his other hand. He turned slightly and drove his foot into the paladin's knee and dislocated it. As the paladin groaned in pain and muttered, he thrust the dagger into one of the rents in the ring mail.  
  
Shadowblade realized it was not a vital area as the paladin pulled the dagger out and was strangely walking just fine. "See what the light is capable of?" he sneered and charged Shadowblade once more. Just then, the paladin stopped and fell to his knees. "Wha. . .what's happening?" He then fell face down. Shadowblade approached cautiously and checked his pulse. Dead.  
  
"What was that?" Shadowblade asked the necromancer.  
  
"I poisoned the dagger," he answered, with shallow breathing.  
  
"Nice, very nice," Shadowblade answered as he retrieved his own. He pulled out a healing potion and handed it to the necromancer, who looked at him strangely. "What?"  
  
"Well," the necromancer began. "I'm not exactly. . .the kind of person most people would. . .care about at all. Why did you help me?"  
  
"My purpose in life is to defend justice and the innocent, and his intentions were far from just." Shadowblade laughed. "That, and I finally had an excuse to kill a paladin."  
  
The necromancer started laughing too, and Shadowblade noticed his face. He was shocked; from the tales he'd heard, he would have expected necromancers to be warped and ugly. This one was utterly handsome, he thought. Almost as much as. . .  
  
Shadowblade snapped back to reality. "My name is Shadowblade, and I come from Westmarch. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Horsham," he said. "I. . .like all my brothers. . .come from Rathma."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Horsham." Shadowblade noticed he was still bleeding, and looked at him.  
  
"Oh. . .the paladin gave me a. . .few more wounds before. . .you arrived. I was just lucky you showed up. . .when you did."  
  
"Well, I'm out of healing potions, but the Rogue priestess, Akara, is an excellent healer. I will take you to her," Shadowblade offered. "Follow me."  
  
Horsham rose to follow Shadowblade, but he stumbled and cried out. "My leg. . .it's not completely healed yet." He tried to reach into his pack, but his arm was injured too, and it was too painful. "Shadowblade, there's a portal scroll in my pack. If our destination is uncorrupted, it can take us there."  
  
Shadowblade took out the scroll and opened a portal to the Rogue encampment. He then stepped over to Horsham and picked him up in his arms. Shadowblade could make out the smell of sweat and leaves; it was obvious his new friend had been in the wilderness for awhile. He stepped into the portal and the Rogue encampment, then headed toward Akara's tent.  
  
"My lady," he called out. "Someone needs your help."  
  
Akara emerged and asked, "What is the matter?"  
  
"He was attacked. I gave him my last healing potion, but it wasn't enough. He is still in bad shape."  
  
Then Horsham spoke up. "Please. . .I'll help you in return. . ." And, he fainted.  
  
"Bring him inside," Akara said. Shadowblade carried Horsham inside and laid him on the table she pointed to. "My power will be much more effective if his clothing were removed, but a Rogue is not permitted to look upon a male body. Would you. . .?"  
  
"Of course," Shadowblade replied. Akara pulled a hood over her eyes, and he set to work. He gently pulled off Horsham's black leather vest and placed it on the floor, and he noticed that he was breathing faster. Shadowblade pulled off his gloves and caressed Horsham's pale, yet slightly muscular chest to calm him down. He then moved to the end of the table, removed his boots, and rubbed his feet for a moment to warm them up. Finally, he undid the leather ties on Horsham's pants and slowly pulled them down over his hips and legs until they were off completely. Shadowblade was then able to see all the wounds the paladin had inflicted and felt even better about dispatching him. "Now, what shall I do?" he asked Akara.  
  
"Lead me to the other end of the table and place my hands on his head," she said. He did so and Akara began to chant under her breath. As she did so, Horsham's body began to glow with a pink light, and the wounds began to close and disappear.  
  
The tent flap suddenly came open and Kashya stared for a second before yelping and shielding her eyes. "What happened?" she asked.  
  
"Be patient," Akara said. "Right now, we have to attend to this young man's recovery." To Shadowblade, she said, "If only a warm bath could be provided for him, it would do him good, but I'm afraid all we have is cold river water."  
  
"I am able to heat water mentally. It was one of the first skills I learned in my training. If there is a place to bathe, I can do the rest."  
  
"There is, and it is near the river at the back of the encampment. It's surrounded by curtains for privacy. There's a depression in the ground that functions as a bathtub. If you can fill it with water, it will hold the water until you remove the rock from the drain."  
  
"Very well. Thank you, my lady." Shadowblade wrapped a sheet around Horsham, took him into his arms, and headed toward the bathing area. 


	8. Intimate Introductions

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 7  
  
Shadowblade laid Horsham down beside the makeshift tub, picked up the bucket, and began to transfer water to it from the river. When the tub was full, he stared at the water and started to concentrate. He could feel the cold inside his brain and imagined it calming down to lukewarm, then becoming warm, like a rock that has sat in the sun for awhile. He stooped down and tested the water with his hands, and sure enough, it was comfortably warm.  
  
He returned to Horsham, unwrapped the sheet, and lifted him. He walked over to the tub and set him in there gently, handing him some soap and a piece of cloth.  
  
Horsham set it aside and leaned back, smiling. He seemed to be savoring the warm water. He leaned forward and dipped his head under the water, wetting his hair. He took the soap and his hand, and lifted it to lather his hair, but winced before he got it there. "Damn! My arm still hurts."  
  
Shadowblade took the soap and said, "Here let me do it." Horsham nodded, and Shadowblade dipped the soap in the water, then made a lather in his hands. He set the soap aside and began working the lather into Horsham's soft white hair. He could hear his friend hum in contentment as he gently worked through his hair.  
  
"You're the strangest man I've ever met," Horsham said. "One moment, you are fighting with a fervor that would intimidate Diablo himself, and the next, you show me more kindness and gentleness than I've ever experienced in my life."  
  
"That's just the way I am," said Shadowblade, softly massaging Horsham's scalp. "I treasure all innocent beings, and I'll give my life to protect them."  
  
"But, a paladin," Horsham said. "Who are you that you'd slay a paladin? Even the most powerful of mages fear them."  
  
Shadowblade felt he could be more open with this young man. "Don't you know what I am? What kind of warrior uses daggers as his or her primary melee weapon and manipulates matter with his very mind? Ever heard of a group of fighters that make a life out of protecting innocents?"  
  
Horsham turned around in surprise. "You're a Slayer?"  
  
Shadowblade nodded. "That's what we're usually called, for our effectiveness in combat." He noticed Horsham's astonished look. "You look like you just saw an archangel."  
  
"I would be the envy of all my brothers in Rathma. Slayers are highly respected in our order, for their unprejudiced judgment of all beings. I am honored that you came to my aid." He took Shadowblade's hand and kissed it. "I am at your service, sir," Horsham said, with his head down.  
  
Shadowblade placed his other hand under Horsham's head and lifted it. By the heavens, thought Shadowblade. He looks so innocent and lovely. "No need to humble yourself before me. I can sense the inherent goodness in you. If Andariel herself attacked this camp, I would battle her single- handedly, before I would let any harm come to you."  
  
Horsham smirked, "Oh, really? Because I'm sooo good."  
  
Shadowblade lay down on the ground and put his hand behind Horsham's head, pulling it closer. "Yes, because you're so good. . .and so beautiful." He pulled it so their lips were touching, and he began to kiss Horsham, open- mouthed. Shadowblade pressed his tongue into Horsham's mouth, who began to slide his own tongue against it. They kissed for about a minute, and then pulled apart.  
  
"Oh, dear," Horsham said. "I got soap on you." He then smiled playfully. "I guess I'd better rinse you off." He splashed some water on Shadowblade.  
  
"You're going to get my clothes wet. I can't have that," Shadowblade said. He got up, and Horsham began to look worried until he saw his friend undoing his armor, and taking it off. Shadowblade then pulled off his gloves and boots, followed by his shirt and pants. Horsham looked up at Shadowblade's lean, muscular, and now nude body. He took a deep breath as his friend stepped into the tub and crawled up to him.  
  
"Well, Horsham, is your hair now clean?"  
  
"I think so. If I dunk my head under, can you rinse it?"  
  
"Of course." Horsham put his head underwater, and Shadowblade ran his fingers through it until the soap was gone. He then pulled Horsham's head up. "Is that better?" He nodded. "Now, I guess I'd better wash my own hair. It's been a while since I bathed."  
  
He picked up the soap and made a foam, then set it aside and began to lather his own hair. Horsham lather up the cloth and began to wash Shadowblade's chest and arms. "So, what do necromancers really do?" asked Shadowblade.  
  
"You mean besides fleeing zealous paladins?" Shadowblade smirked at him. "Well, we strive to maintain the balance between good and evil, utilizing the magic of life and death to do so. Sometimes, the magic of reality itself. Manipulating dead flesh and matter, kind of like you. Except we use magic instead of mind."  
  
"So, you don't summon demons or anything?"  
  
Horsham looked taken aback. "Heavens, no. If I saw a demon, I'd probably die of fright." He started to tear, and he turned around and pressed his back against Shadowblade, resting his head against the chest. "I hate them," he sobbed.  
  
Shadowblade put his arms under Horsham's and wrapped them around his chest. "Who?" he asked.  
  
"Everyone who spreads lies about us. All the people I meet seem to think I summon demons and defile the dead, while I am trying desperately to learn golem summoning so I won't have to bother dead souls. Everywhere I go, I feel so hated."  
  
Shadowblade pressed his face against Horsham's wet hair and caressed his chest. "I don't hate you, not at all. It's so hard to explain. I just met you a few hours ago, and I already feel closer to you than I have to anyone since. . ."  
  
"What?" Horsham asked.  
  
"Nothing," said Shadowblade, and he stood up. "I need to get my clothes cleaned up." He stepped out of the tub and picked up his clothing, and he started washing them in the river. Horsham continued bathing, watching his friend take the clothes out of the river and set them on the ground. Shadowblade stared at them, and steam seemed to rise. When he picked them up, they were completely dry. He dressed and looked at Horsham, pretending not to notice the hurt in his eyes. "I'll go see about getting you some clothes."  
  
He turned and left the bathing area, wiping a tear from his eye. His mind could sense Horsham's pain at what had just happened. Damn me for treating him that way! Shadowblade thought. I should be torn limb from limb by Andariel for treating him like that.  
  
As he milled over what had just happened, he nearly crashed into Aliza. "I'm sorry," he said, and he noticed her bundle. "Is that. . .?" he began.  
  
"It's that young man's clothes and pack. I washed and dried them, but not the pack, of course, while you and Akara were taking care of him."  
  
Shadowblade smiled at her. "Aliza, you're amazing!" Suddenly, Aliza burst out laughing. "What is it?" he asked.  
  
She could barely talk for laughing. "Oh, my heavens, Shadow.a Rogue. . .washing a man's clothes for him. . .if my sisters hear about this. . .they'll laugh at me. . .for weeks!" Aliza walked away doubled over, and Shadowblade knew she wasn't really worried.  
  
He headed back to the bathing area, where Horsham had just climbed out and dried himself on the sheet. "Oh, Horsham, you should have waited for me. I could have helped you!"  
  
"It's fine," he said. "I have been healing pretty quickly. I should be back to normal by tomorrow." He took his clothes from Shadowblade and began to put them on.  
  
"Let me help," Shadowblade offered, but Horsham held up a hand to stop him.  
  
"It's fine, I can manage." He took up his pack and started to leave. "I think I'll go see whether I can sell some of this." Horsham left the bathing area, as well as a disappointed Shadowblade.  
  
Shadowblade could only feel guilty for the way he'd acted earlier, and he just stood there. Damn! He thought. I've wanted to move on for some time, and this is, well probably WAS, the opportunity. I've GOT to make it right, but how? His thoughts were interrupted by a young, yet unmistakably male, yell of fear. 


	9. Kashya's Challenge

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 8  
  
Shadowblade ran out of the bathing area to see Horsham backed up against a wagon, faced by several men. "So," one of them said. "Seems we have a DEATH MAGE in our camp. And a bugger, no less."  
  
Horsham pulled out his wand, and said, "Get away from me." As one stepped closer, he waved it. Nothing happened.  
  
The man laughed out loud. "Your magic doesn't work here, we have a protective ward." As they advanced on him, Shadowblade approached as well.  
  
"What is going on here?" he demanded.  
  
The first man turned abruptly, then looked relieved. "Oh, Shadowblade, it's you. Well, we were just gonna show this death mage what we think of his kind and throw him out to the Quill Rats!"  
  
"Leave him be," Shadowblade ordered. The first man obediently backed away, but the rest turned to him.  
  
"Oh, really?" asked one. "And just what do YOU plan to do if we don't?"  
  
The first man tried to warn them. "Don't! That's SHADOWBLADE! Do what he says!"  
  
"I don't care who he is," the other said. "He must be a bugger too, and we're gonna take care of them BOTH."  
  
"You can't be as tough as those monsters I cleared from the Den of Evil or the paladin I killed earlier today," Shadowblade said to his shocked aggressor.  
  
"You killed a p-paladin?" asked the other. Shadowblade nodded. They were all shocked by the person who showed up next.  
  
"Paladin? What paladin?" Kashya asked. She then pointed at the men. "You! Back to your business!" They all retreated, and she pointed at Shadowblade. "You! Explain yourself!"  
  
"Well, while I was exploring the Cold Plains, I came upon a paladin fighting Horsham." He gestured to his friend. "The paladin was determined to kill him, just for being a necromancer, and I had to slay the paladin to save him."  
  
Kashya glared at Shadowblade. "You should have let him do it. What use to we have for a death mage?" She then continued, "This paladin. . .did he have a sword socketed with amethysts?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She balled up her fists and took a menacing step toward Shadowblade. "You FOOL! What is the matter with you? He was going to slay Blood Raven so she couldn't attack us! You've just sealed our doom!"  
  
"Calm down! Explain!"  
  
Kashya stepped back and attempted to control her anger, but it showed in her voice, as she stared at the ground. "Blood Raven was the Rogue commander before me, not to mention my best friend, but she was corrupted by Andariel, and now she is working against us. Andariel gave her the power to resurrect the dead, and she is raising corpses in the burial grounds to assault us. The paladin you murdered was going to slay her and prevent this, but now he can't, thanks to you!"  
  
She then looked up with renewed rage. "How could you kill a man of the LIGHT over a DEATH MAGE?"  
  
Shadowblade's anger got the best of him and he spewed venomously at Kashya. "He posed no threat to the paladin's life! The paladin only wanted to kill him for what he was! Protecting the innocent is my life, and Horsham certainly poses no harm, at least not to any good person! The force that drove me to protect him is the same as that which drove me to rescue Aliza!"  
  
"How DARE you compare one of my sisters to a DEATH MAGE?" Kashya seethed.  
  
"I care NOTHING for your petty prejudices! I care about people! Not Rogues and paladins and necromancers and whatever else! Just people! Including Horsham! I fought a paladin to save him! Don't think I won't fight you AND Blood Raven BOTH!"  
  
Kashya's expression changed to a sardonic smirk. "Would you, now?"  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Well, since you killed the paladin, you can be the one to slay Blood Raven. If you succeed, you--and your necromancer--can stay, and if your deeds match your brave words, you might actually gain my respect. Do you accept the challenge?"  
  
"By the Light, I do," Shadowblade said.  
  
"And I as well," Horsham spoke up, placing a hand on Shadowblade's shoulder.  
  
"And I," stated Aliza.  
  
Kashya shook her head. "The other two can do what they want, but I need you here for defense purposes."  
  
"But he saved my life," pleaded Aliza. "I want to help him now."  
  
Kashya thought about this for a moment and said, "I'll make you a deal. If these men can slay Blood Raven and prove their worth, you may fight alongside them in the future. Fair enough?"  
  
Aliza nodded and left. Kashya looked at Shadowblade and Horsham and said, "You two better get rested up. And good luck. You'll need it!" She left as well, leaving the two young men alone.  
  
"Thank you for standing up for me again, Shadowblade," said Horsham, and he put his arms around Shadowblade and his head on his shoulder.  
  
"Well, I meant what I said. And I apologize for acting the way I did earlier. I just had a. . .flashback. Too complicated to explain right now, but later, I promise." He put his arms around Horsham and squeezed him tightly. "And you can call me Shadow. Aliza does."  
  
"I accept your apology, Shadow, and I hope that you'll feel comfortable enough to tell me someday." He nuzzled Shadowblade's neck. "And I hope I'll be able to fight paladins someday."  
  
"You will," promised Shadowblade, "You just need to train and study more. I can help you."  
  
"You have necromantic skills?" asked Horsham.  
  
Shadowblade laughed. "No, no. But I can help train your mind, and it'll enable you to cast more spells more efficiently. Though, you'll have to strengthen them yourselves." He stepped back. "I can even teach you how to fare better in combat as well, at least until you develop some more powerful offensive spells."  
  
Horsham grinned. "And I can teach you some spells. I mean you won't be able to summon bone spirits or anything, but you can learn how to amplify damage and do some other good stuff."  
  
"Together, we're invincible!" proclaimed Shadowblade and he stepped back and drew his daggers, assuming a fighting stance. "We'll conquer Westmarch!"  
  
"And Scosglen!" Horsham waved his wand.  
  
"We'll claim the summit of Mount Arreat!"  
  
"And Kurast itself!"  
  
"Yes. . .Kurast," said Shadowblade, in a more somber tone. But, he saw the glee fade from Horsham's face and remembered his previous mistake. Determined to avert any damage before it occurred, he placed his right arm around Horsham's shoulders and pressed their faces together. "And there's no one in the mortal realm I'd rather seize it with."  
  
Horsham seemed content, and Shadowblade led them to his tent. "Shadow, I'm afraid it'll be cold."  
  
Shadowblade ruffled his hair and said, "You have me to keep you warm."  
  
"That's all I need." Both headed into the tent to rest for the next day. 


	10. Blood Raven

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 9  
  
Shadowblade woke up the next morning to see Horsham sleeping soundly next to him. He figured they'd both had enough sleep, so he took out his dagger and began poking him lightly in the posterior. Horsham awoke and asked, "Why are you doing that?"  
  
His lover grinned. "Fair's fair. You kept poking me with your wand."  
  
"What? My wand's in my pack." Suddenly, Shadowblade's eyes lit up and he nodded before stifling a giggle. "What is it? Tell me!" But, Shadowblade just smirked at him. "Shadow, you're so mean. I'm warning you, I know a bone spell!" He jumped on Shadowblade and tried to wrestle him to the ground.  
  
Horsham proved to be a decent wrestler, but he was clearly exerting himself, and sweat was dripping down his bare chest. Shadowblade then noticed the bulge in his pants. "Bone spell, huh? If you teach THAT to those men, they'll be your friends in no time!"  
  
"Ha ha ha, very funny! That's not any spell of mine, but I know what to do about it." From the outside, the tent seemed to rattle,and they came out, ready to go, about a half hour later.  
  
Shadowblade and Horsham approached Kashya. "Kashya, we're going to slay Blood Raven."  
  
She looked at both of them, then looked at Horsham again and began laughing. "Maybe you should get that out of your hair. Then again, don't. When Blood Raven sees that, she'll DIE laughing."  
  
"What is it?" Horsham asked.  
  
"Some slimy junk. I could barely see it because it's as white as your hair." The two guys looked at each other sheepishly and ran to the waypoint.  
  
Shadowblade cleaned the white stuff off Horsham's hair with his mouth. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that," Horsham said.  
  
"Why not?" Shadowblade asked. "You swallowed a lot more than that, and you're still alive."  
  
Horsham looked at the ground. "But maybe not for much longer."  
  
Shadowblade rubbed his back. "I'll be with you. You'll be fine." He led Horsham onto the waypoint. "Now hold my hand." They held hands, Shadowblade imagined the Cold Plains, and they were there instantly.  
  
Both remembered the way to the burial grounds and went there right away. As they entered, three skeletons approached them. While Shadowblade charged, Horsham held out his wand and spoke, "Flesh and bone, turn soft like butter, a single strike counts as much as twice." Shadowblade punched the first two in their heads, shattering them, and kicked the third in the chest. Horsham spoke again. "Bones of warriors old, return once more, but serve me forevermore." Two bone piles formed skeletons once more but did not attack. Horsham turned to Shadowblade. "Until I can summon golems."  
  
They continued into the burial areas and were ambushed by more zombies. Shadowblade watched Horsham cast his amplify damage curse again, take out his own dagger, and join in the attack. Shadowblade slashed two zombies' throats and kicked their heads off while each skeleton was fighting one and Horsham slashed at a fifth. Shadowblade gasped when Horsham fell back from a punch in the chest, but felt relieved when the zombie fell dead. A skeleton impaled a zombie on his sword, but was answered with a devastating blow to the head, which left only half the skull intact. The second skeleton hit a zombie in the head with a mace, felling it immediately.  
  
Horsham was suddenly knocked down by a zombie and kicked in the side twice. Shadowblade immediately ran over and drove a dagger into the zombie's head. He picked Horsham up. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." He ran over to his two skeletons just as a zombie shattered the rest of one's head. Shadowblade followed him, and watched as Horsham slashed the zombie's throat, then ran behind and attempted to pull its head off. The zombie elbowed Horsham twice, but the head eventually came off.  
  
As the remaining skeleton took out the last zombie, Shadowblade looked at his lover. "Impressive," he said. However, their warm moment was interrupted by a shrill cry.  
  
"Join my army of the dead!" They looked beyond the cemetery boundaries to see a woman dressed in red with a blonde ponytail readying an arrow and surrounded by ten to twelve zombies, who could have only been Blood Raven. Shadowblade quickly pushed Horsham to the side as the arrow came their way and fell as well.  
  
"That was close. We'd better be careful."  
  
"Right," replied Horsham. They and the remaining skeleton entered the cemetery. Another arrow flew by, into the skeleton's head. "Damn! I'll try to raise another."  
  
Shadowblade charged the group to distract Blood Raven and her minions. He dodged arrows as he headed toward the zombies, hoping to take them out first. He kicked two in the stomach and stabbed their heads, while preparing a cripple attack. When he saw them stagger, he jumped back into the attack. Their blows were easier to dodge, and he decided to turn invisible as well, but his concentration was broken by a cry from Horsham, who he saw being attacked by a pair of zombies. He tried to escape and run help him, but was knocked down by a blow a zombie managed to land.  
  
Meanwhile, Horsham was trying to break free of a zombie's hold, but to no avail. Finally, he saw the mace his skeleton had dropped. He muttered his amplify damage curse and kicked the zombie in the knee, dislocating it. He drove an elbow into its side, which stunned it long enough for Horsham to break free and pick up the mace. It was nearly too heavy for him, and it was all he could do to swing it into the heads of the two zombies. However, he noticed another zombie nearby and could see Blood Raven looking at him. Of course, he thought. She's resurrecting them. Then, he saw Shadowblade in the zombies' grasp.  
  
Shadowblade grunted trying to escape, but four were holding him down, while others kicked him. He felt his ribs breaking and cried out when he saw Blood Raven pointing an arrow at his lover, "Horsham!"  
  
Horsham knew Shadowblade was overwhelmed and that he must act fast. Just as he was about to cast a spell, an arrow cut into his leg and looked to see Blood Raven advancing toward him. "My army will destroy you."  
  
Though his spirit was drained already, he cast the first spell he thought of. "Good is light, and evil is dark; you chose darkness, now it shall take you." He saw a shadow form over Blood Raven, who seemed to lose sight of him.  
  
Shadowblade felt darkness slipping over him and sobbed, "No, I can't let another one die. . .not this time. He saw that the two zombies holding his hands were touching one another as well, so he gathered his body's electricity as he'd done with the Wendigos and released it. The zombies sizzled as their rotting flesh burned and fell to the ground. His hands free, he started to pull two more off their feet, but another zombie grabbed his hands and he was punched in the chest.  
  
Thank you, Shadow, thought Horsham. I can use those corpses. Heaven give me the energy I need. He saw the shadow over Blood Raven fading and knew he must act quickly. He concentrated on the corpses. "Deaths so painful, souls unquenched, feel your rage and set it free." Both the corpses exploded and five zombies fell after being struck by bone fragments and pure energy.  
  
Shadowblade immediately got up and ran out of the crowd. He pulled out a healing potion, drank it down and threw a purple one to Horsham. "Drink!" he yelled.  
  
Horsham obeyed and felt the pain in his leg disappear and his spirit strengthen. He yelled back to Shadowblade. "Shadow! Just kill Blood Raven, don't worry about the zombies!"  
  
Shadowblade nodded and headed toward Blood Raven and dodged two arrows. He could see her preparing another arrow, so he waited for her to shoot it, then dashed to the side and over to her, kicking the bow from her hand. Blood Raven immediately swung her fist to the side and knocked Shadowblade to the ground. He quickly got up, but she, just as quickly, kicked him in the side, sending him sprawling. As she headed for her bow, he got back up, ran over to her, and kicked the bow across the graveyard. He blocked another blow to the head and began to gather his chi in his head. In a split second's time, he imagined it as a ball of pure energy in his chest. In the next split second, he raised his foot for a kick and imagined the ball of energy drifting down his torso, to his hip, down his leg, and into his foot. The moment his foot connected with Blood Raven's chest, he imagined the ball exploding, and she flew into the tree in the middle of the graveyard, stunned.  
  
"Great Trag'Oul, teeth sharp as steel, send those teeth to me, in form corporeal." Large dragon teeth shot from Horsham's hand into a crowd of ten zombies he'd managed to distract. As one fell dead, he noticed that there was another corpse nearby. He detonated both, and four more zombies fell.  
  
In the few seconds Blood Raven was dazed, Shadowblade ran to her and drove both daggers into her throat, removed them, and stepped back as she began to cough up blood. He noticed the five zombies that were advancing on Horsham and started to run over and help him but was stopped by what appeared to be several lightning bolts coming from Blood Raven. "Horsham, get down!" he yelled, and Horsham complied. The lightning bolts struck all the zombies and they fell dead.  
  
An apparition started to rise from Blood Raven's body, and the two young men went over to investigate. It appeared to be a woman, a few years older than Kashya. She seemed to be crying. Shadowblade and Horsham were startled when she spoke. "I was a fool to trust Andariel. Now, I'll go to Hell, but I deserve no less. I can only thank both of you for freeing me from my corrupted servitude. Tell Kashya I'm sorry and will regret everything for eternity." With that, Blood Raven's ghost disappeared into the ground.  
  
Horsham spoke up. "We succeeded, but I don't feel like any hero."  
  
Shadowblade tried to comfort him. "At least she's not in Andariel's servitude anymore." He hugged Horsham tightly. "I'll get that bow, for Kashya, and we'll return to the encampment. Will you open a portal for me?"  
  
Horsham nodded and opened a blue scroll from his pack as Shadowblade fetched Blood Raven's bow. 


	11. Profession

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 10  
  
Shadowblade and Horsham walked through the camp straight to Kashya's post. "It is done," said the former. "Blood Raven is no more."  
  
Kashya blinked at him for a second. "Don't believe me?" asked Shadowblade. He pulled the bow out of his pack and handed it to her. "Her bow. Now do you believe me?"  
  
She spoke up. "She would never part with this bow. Therefore, what you are saying must be true." She remained silent a moment, and looked up. "D- did she say anything?"  
  
"She is remorseful for her transgression and wanted me to tell you she was sorry for what she'd done."  
  
A tear rolled down Kashya's cheek, and she said, "She deserves to go to Hell for what she's done. But she was my friend, and I can't bear the thought." She started sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
Shadowblade placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Let it out."  
  
After a few minutes, the sobbing stopped. She looked up. "You kept your end of the bargain; now I will keep mine. Aliza!" Aliza came over. "Aliza, they have defeated Blood Raven, so you may join them in future combat. And Shadowblade, YOU have earned my respect. You, and your friend, may stay here."  
  
Though pleased, Shadowblade was still upset at the way his lover was treated. "Kashya! There was NO way I could have succeeded without Horsham's help. I insist you give him his due AND ensure no one will bother him here anymore."  
  
"Fair enough," Kashya said. "Necromancer, well done." She turned to the men who'd threatened Horsham before. "The necromancer helped slay Blood Raven. Therefore, it is my order that no harm should come to him. Should any of you disregard my wishes, you will be sent out of this camp and be at the mercy of the monsters. Understood?" They nodded. She turned to Shadowblade. "Satisfied?"  
  
"Yes," he said. "Though I must point out that he has a name."  
  
Kashya ignored him. "Now, Akara has asked to see you. No doubt you will have another quest."  
  
Shadowblade, Horsham, and Aliza headed to Akara's tent. "You wished to see us, my lady?" asked the first.  
  
"Yes," she said. "In spite of recent victories, we have only been able to slow the tide, not turn it back. We fervently wish to do so, but our own knowledge is insufficient. However, there is a very wise man who could help us."  
  
"Who is that?" asked Shadowblade.  
  
"Deckard Cain." She smiled at her visitors' shock. "The last of the Horadrim. He is the only one that could possibly help us."  
  
"And how can we help you?" Shadowblade asked.  
  
"Well," began Akara. "If he is alive, he will be in Tristram, no doubt held captive by unimaginable monsters. I was hoping you would be willing to go there and rescue him, if he's alive."  
  
"But Tristram is so far away. We'd be gone for who knows how long, and I don't want to leave you alone here," Aliza blurted.  
  
"Fear not," she replied. "There is another way to get there. But first, I will need a special scroll."  
  
"Where can we find this scroll?" Horsham asked.  
  
"Return to the Cold Plains, and there will be another opening, to a place we call the Stony Field. There, you will find a cave. Go through the cave and you will come out in a forest called the Dark Wood. Look for a unique tree, and touch it. The scroll appears to those whose intentions are pure."  
  
"We will do as you ask, my lady," said Shadowblade.  
  
"Good luck," said Akara. "Now, I'd suggest you two young men rest up from your battle and head out tomorrow."  
  
"Of course, my lady. Have a nice day." They left the tent.  
  
"Yes," said Aliza. "You two go and 'rest'." She burst out laughing.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Horsham.  
  
"By the heavens!" exclaimed Aliza. "I'm not an idiot, you know!" She dashed away laughing.  
  
"It doesn't really bother me what she knows," said Shadowblade.  
  
"Me neither," said Horsham. "Good thing that paladin isn't around to see us."  
  
"Damned Zakarum!" exclaimed Shadowblade.  
  
"Okay, I already know there's something you're not telling me, and I have a feeling it has a lot to do with the Church of Zakarum. Are you ready to tell me?" asked Horsham.  
  
"Not yet. I need to figure out how."  
  
"Just tell me, Shadow. No dodging, just the truth."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Why in Hell are you so concerned about it? It's MY business and MY problem!" Shadowblade yelled.  
  
Horsham was in tears. "Then, damn it, it's MY problem too! And I'll do anything to help you solve it!"  
  
Shadowblade looked at him scornfully. "You couldn't help."  
  
"The Hell I can't! I'll stand by your side as long as you need me to! I love you!"  
  
Neither could believe what had just been said. Shadowblade was stupefied for a moment, until he regained his senses. He then grabbed Horsham roughly by the shoulders. He remembered the battle with Blood Raven just a few hours ago and what he was thinking when the zombies advanced on Horsham. He didn't care whether Blood Raven lived or died. He only wanted save Horsham. "Damn it! I love you, too!"  
  
With that, he pulled Horsham into the tent and began removing his armor, then his boots, then the vest, then the pants. Shadowblade then removed his own clothes and laid Horsham down on the sheet. He pinned Horsham's wrists to the ground and pressed his lips against his lover's and they kissed passionately for several minutes. He moved down and kissed Horsham on the neck and down into his chest. He continued into the stomach and on down, all the while Horsham was panting wildly and writhing. Shadowblade's head stopped in a spot and began working on one area. Horsham began to moan softly, and his hips began to buck wildly. The moans grew louder and louder until Horsham yelled, "Oh, Shadow! I love you!"  
  
Shadowblade moved back up to where he was facing Horsham and said, "I love you, too." Suddenly, he began looking through the packs.  
  
"What are you looking for?" Horsham asked.  
  
"This," Shadowblade said, holding up a small bottle. He opened it up and smelled of it. "Scented oil."  
  
"What's that for?" Horsham asked.  
  
"It's for us. So we can connect completely." Shadowblade began applying it to himself.  
  
"I don't understand," Horsham said.  
  
"It's okay. I will do everything." He then crawled in front of Horsham, and lifted his legs in the air. "Now, this may hurt a bit at first, but remember, I'm here with you."  
  
He reached out both hands and his fingers interlocked with Horsham's. Shadowblade pushed gently, and Horsham cried out, "Oh!" breathing harder.  
  
After a few seconds, he calmed down, and Shadowblade began to move back and forth. As he moved, Shadowblade felt something amazing come over him, and he started to pant harder, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Horsham did the same and started moaning. Suddenly, both yelled out in ecstasy. So enamored with one another, they were completely unaware of the crowd outside the tent.  
  
"Why should we have to listen to this, this. . .abomination, this defiance of nature?" asked a man.  
  
Kashya slapped him on the back of the head. "Shut up!" 


	12. Training

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 11  
  
"Horsham?" called Shadowblade. "Where are you?" He sat in the tent, wondering where his lover, now literally a lover, was. He crept out and started looking around the encampment, but Horsham was nowhere. He saw a Rogue nearby and approached her. "Have you seen Horsham?"  
  
"Oh, yes," she said, "He left the encampment a few hours ago."  
  
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Shadowblade, and he ran toward the encampment's exit, forgetting his daggers. As he came out on the other side, he breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Horsham was sitting cross-legged on the ground watching a mass of dirt that appeared to be moving. "There you are!" said Shadowblade. "I wish you would have woke me up before venturing out of the encampment!"  
  
"Well, you looked so peaceful, I couldn't bear to disturb you. Don't worry about me, Shadow. You know very well I'm not defenseless," Horsham admonished his lover. "Besides, the only things that come this close to the camp are Quill Rats and zombies. And maybe a few Fallen Ones."  
  
"Okay," relented Shadowblade. He changed the subject. "What are you doing there?"  
  
"Trying to summon a clay golem, but all I can get this dirt to do is rise and twitch."  
  
"Maybe you need different dirt?"  
  
"That's not it. Any necromancer worth his salt can summon a clay golem from even a stone floor. I just can't seem to manipulate the magics well enough."  
  
Shadowblade saw this as an opportunity to assist him. "Horsham, why don't you take a break from that and come with me?"  
  
"Shadow, I need to learn this. Maybe later?"  
  
Shadowblade came over, reached down, grabbed Horsham's arm, and pulled him up. "I'm going to help you learn this. I know nothing of summoning, but I can help your concentration. Is that not a critical part of a mage's casting?"  
  
"I see what you're saying," said Horsham. "Then teach me, my love." He turned to Shadowblade and kissed him on the lips, following him back into the encampment.  
  
Shadowblade first let them to Akara's tent. "My lady, do you have any Hellsroot?"  
  
"Why, yes, I do," she said. "Five gold pieces an ounce."  
  
Shadowblade handed her the money and led Horsham to their tent. They both sat down cross-legged and he pulled a metal bowl from his pack, setting it between them. He placed the Hellsroot in the bowl and concentrated on it until a smoke rose. Shadowblade pushed the bowl closer to Horsham and said, "Just breathe normally."  
  
Horsham obeyed, and his eyes began to widen. "What's happening? I feel so calm, yet I can hear the entire camp, just about. And everything is so bright!"  
  
"People often use Hellsroot when they first learn to meditate so they can pass into the mental state more easily. With a little practice, you won't need it anymore. Now, I am going to lead you through this. You will feel very strange, but do not worry. I am opening a psychic link between us so you can perceive what I do and follow suit. Ready?" Horsham nodded. "Close your eyes."  
  
Shadowblade reached out mentally and found Horsham's mind. He pulled a piece of Horsham's consciousness into his own mind and heard Horsham gasp. The link created, Shadowblade began to enter his meditative state.  
  
In his mind, he backed away from his sensations, and they began to weaken. He felt Horsham doing the same. Finally, all sensations were gone, except for consciousness of his breathing and heartbeat. As they faded away, he could see a blue light, clouded in places by a nameless darkness. He focused on the brightest spot and willed it to glow brighter. It did so, until the glow was all he could see. When the glow disappeared, there was nothingness. He knew he could look into his mind, but chose not to. Instead, he broke the psychic link slowly.  
  
Shadowblade opened his eyes and looked in front of him. "Horsham?"  
  
Horsham opened his eyes as well. "Shadow? What was that? I felt alert and could have focused on anything, were there anything to focus on."  
  
"You entered a meditative state," Shadowblade said approvingly. "Well done." As Horsham smiled, he said, "Now, let's practice some more. This time, we won't burn anymore Hellsroot, so you can just use what you've already inhaled."  
  
Shadowblade opened the psychic link again, and they repeated their performance. That time, Shadowblade noticed that Horsham was paying less attention to him, but functioning just as well.  
  
***  
  
As they repeated over and over, Horsham paid less and less attention, until he was entering the state on his own. After a few hours, they decided to stop.  
  
"Very good. You're an excellent student," said Shadowblade, and he kissed Horsham on the cheek. "Now, shall we try that golem again?"  
  
"Absolutely," said Horsham, and they headed outside. They returned to where Shadowblade had originally found Horsham. "I believe I will try this standing up."  
  
Horsham looked at the dirt, and Shadowblade could sense Horsham's thoughts. He was concentrating on a strange rune of sorts and the dirt in the form of a golem. Horsham held out his hands and spoke. "Dirt, decayed flesh of plant and best, rise now and come to me." The dirt in front of Horsham started to move wildly, and Shadowblade stepped back. It rose from the ground until it took a beast-like shape, with arms, legs, and a head. Horsham looked up and smiled broadly. He jumped up and down in glee and hugged Shadowblade. "I did it!"  
  
"Yes, you did," Shadowblade responded. "You're handsome AND talented." He then heard something in the distance and turned to see a Quill Rat. "Why don't you try it out?" he suggested.  
  
Horsham nodded and looked at the Quill Rat. The golem ran to the beast and slammed a fist into it. The beast fell down and got up slowly, but fell for good after receiving another punch. They looked at each other happily, and headed back to the camp.  
  
Suddenly, Horsham cried out in alarm, looking up. Shadowblade also looked up to see a Rogue getting ready to fire at the golem. "No, don't!" he yelled. "It belongs to us!"  
  
The Rogue withdrew her arrow just in time. She yelled back, "Next time, why don't you tell us before you decide to bring such a creature into the camp?"  
  
"We will," promised Horsham. They could hear the rogue telling the others that the creature was not an enemy as they entered the camp.  
  
"Now," continued Shadowblade, "We need to make a better fighter out of you, too. For starters, let's get you a better weapon. And a shield. How much gold do you have?"  
  
"About three thousand," replied Horsham. "And I have a weapon of sorts here." He pulled his skeleton's mace from his pack and swung it around. "Strange, it felt a lot heavier the last time I used it."  
  
"You must have gotten stronger after we fought Blood Raven," said Shadowblade. "However, it is kind of crude, and I think you would do better with something newer, with maybe a few magical properties." He started heading toward the back of the camp. "Let's see what Charsi has." Horsham followed him.  
  
"Hey, you two!" said Charsi. "How can I help you?"  
  
"Horsham needs a weapon and a shield."  
  
"Mace? Sword? Spear? I have anything you could want," she told them.  
  
"I think I want a mace," said Horsham. "I remember how well that old one worked against the zombies. Shadow's daggers are more effective against demons and beasts, so I could fight the undead." Shadowblade marveled at his lover's ingenuity.  
  
Charsi smiled. "I have just the weapon for you." She pulled a mace off the shelf and handed it to Horsham. "You will like this one. It increases your accuracy and attack speed. And, it chills upon impact. If you swing right, you can shatter a monster with this."  
  
"Excellent," he said. "What do you have in the way of shields?"  
  
"I have some bucklers and some small and large shields. A buckler would be a waste, and I know you can't carry a large one. Why don't you look at my selection of small shields?" Charsi gestured to a rack.  
  
Horsham looked at the rack, and a shield with two holes in the front caught his eye. "I want that one." Shadowblade gave him a strange look, and Horsham explained, "I can put gems in the holes and enhance it." Shadowblade nodded approvingly.  
  
"Two thousand twenty five gold, please," said Charsi.  
  
"Of course." Horsham handed her the gold, and they shook hands.  
  
"Oh, damn!" said Shadowblade, and the other two looked at him questioningly. "Horsham, you don't have enough money for armor, now."  
  
"Not to worry, I already have some."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, I was going to sell it, but when those men accosted me, I forgot about it and just threw my stuff in the chest by the wagon. I do believe I can wear it now." Horsham grabbed Shadowblade's arm, and turned to Charsi. "Thank you!"  
  
"You're welcome," she said and watched as Horsham pulled Shadowblade toward the chest.  
  
When they arrived at the chest, Shadowblade watched as Horsham took out a skull cap and a suit of hard leather armor. When he put it on, Shadowblade said, "Horsham, I'm worried it'll be too heavy for you."  
  
"It WOULD have been, but like you said, I'm stronger since Blood Raven. Trust me."  
  
"Okay, I trust you. You'd better hope you're right because we have some more training to do now. Are you up to it?" Horsham nodded and took up his mace and shield. "This time, it will not be mental training, but physical. As in combat."  
  
"I'm ready," said Horsham. "But I hope I don't hurt you."  
  
"Don't worry about hurting me. Fight to kill. In the event that I am seriously injured, Akara is nearby, so there's nothing to worry about. Understand?" Horsham nodded. "Now, assume the fighting stance I demonstrate." Shadowblade posed, and Horsham imitated. "Stay like that while I go get some more conventional weapons. Unlike me, most monsters don't fight with daggers."  
  
Shadowblade headed over to Kashya's post. "Kashya, may I borrow your sword and shield?"  
  
"For what?" she asked.  
  
"I'm training Horsham in melee combat."  
  
Kashya burst out laughing, holding them out. "Okay, but if you damage them, you pay to have them repaired. Deal?"  
  
"Of course," said Shadowblade. As he left, he noticed Kashya following him. "Yes?" he asked.  
  
"I'm coming with you. THIS, I have got to see!" 


	13. Impressive Progress

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 12  
  
Shadowblade and Kashya approached Horsham, who was still in fighting stance. Shadowblade stood in front of him and assumed his own stance. "Now, Horsham," he began, "I want you to attack me. But, be warned, I am going to fight you as severely as I would any monster."  
  
Horsham nodded, and they began to circle one another. Horsham lashed out with his mace at the side of Shadowblade's head, but not very quickly, and Shadowblade moved to block it. As expected, Horsham then quickly withdrew the mace and went for his lover's stomach, but Shadowblade moved his shield into place, then turned and kicked Horsham's aside before kicking him in the chest. Horsham fell backwards, breathless, and some of the men nearby snickered.  
  
However, he got back up and took a swing at Shadowblade's side, but it was blocked by the sword. Horsham then got shield-bashed in his shoulder and slashed in the leg by the sword. He cried out and backed away.  
  
Shadowblade looked at him. "I know it hurts. Just try to ignore the pain. You can still move." Horsham nodded. "And hold your shield outward or inward, depending on the blow, so it won't be knocked aside so easily."  
  
They moved to fight again. This time, Horsham brought his mace toward Shadowblade's head again, and it was blocked by a shield. Horsham noticed a movement in Shadowblade's arm and raised his own shield to block the sword. He could see Shadowblade's leg twitch, so he turned and placed his shield in the foot's path. It missed his torso and sent Shadowblade off balance. Horsham then kicked Shadowblade in the abdomen, knocked his shield out of his hand, bashed him in the face with his own shield, and slammed his mace into the side of his leg. As Shadowblade fell to his knees, Horsham elbowed him in the face and kicked him in the chest. Everyone in the crowd gasped, except Kashya, who smirked.  
  
Shadowblade fell backward, breathing heavily, and looked up at Horsham. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too." Horsham knelt down and pulled out a purple potion. He then poured it down Shadowblade's throat and kissed him. "Feeling any better now?"  
  
"Much. Now, let's continue." He got up, and they prepared for the next match. Kashya walked over to them, "Not bad at all." With that, she left.  
  
***  
  
After a few hours, Shadowblade could see some marked improvement in Horsham's combat. They decided to take a break and lay down. Horsham felt exhausted, so he went and bought a stamina potion from Akara. When he returned, he said to Shadowblade, "That was amazing. I feel more effective already."  
  
"You still have a long way to go, my love. I severely toned down my fighting techniques."  
  
"Oh, I understand, but I still feel confident," he said. "In fact, I want to go back to the burial grounds and explore some." Shadowblade bolted upright. "It's okay, Shadow. Blood Raven's gone."  
  
"Yes, but that place is probably still filled with all kinds of undead."  
  
"I can handle them. Besides, I'm running low on money. I could use the extra treasure."  
  
"I suppose so, but I'm going too."  
  
Horsham shook his head. "No, Shadow. I need to fight for myself and improve more." Shadowblade looked at him severely, and he relented. "How's this? I'll get Aliza and the golem to come with me as well. That way, I won't be alone, and she can train as well."  
  
Shadowblade nodded. "But please be careful. I couldn't bear to lose you."  
  
"I'll be fine. I promise. Good bye!" Shadowblade watched as Horsham approached Aliza and both disappeared on the waypoint.  
  
***  
  
When a blue portal opened in the camp, Shadowblade ran to it immediately. He sighed in relief as Horsham stepped out and gasped at his wounds. Horsham had a cut down his cheek and was bleeding from his side and leg. But, he was smiling.  
  
Before Shadowblade could speak, Aliza came out in a new suit of armor and brandishing a long bow, happy as she could be.  
  
"What happened?" asked Shadowblade, as Horsham drank a healing potion.  
  
"Shadow, it was amazing," Horsham gushed. "I got to fight all these undead, with both magic and weapons. I even learned how to do this. Watch!" He stepped back and spoke. "Bones of old, rise, be free, let no harm come to me." Bones rose from the ground and began to circle Horsham. "It's bone armor!"  
  
Then Aliza spoke up. "Can you believe it? Studded leather! And a skull cap! A magic one, that let's me recover from hits faster! And this bow! Lightning damage!" She skipped off merrily.  
  
"Sounds like you did well, Horsham," Shadowblade said.  
  
"Oh, I did, and I even found about two thousand in gold." He stopped, and pulled out a wavy knife. "And this. I want you to have it."  
  
Shadowblade stared at the knife. "A kris. . .Thank you so much!" He hugged Horsham tightly.  
  
"We'll have no trouble rescuing Deckard Cain!" Horsham said.  
  
"Speaking of which," began Shadowblade. "We'd better rest up for that." He led Horsham back to their tent. "We'll bring back Cain, so the Rogues will then be fine. Finally, I continue to Kurast."  
  
"Don't you mean WE continue to Kurast?" asked Horsham.  
  
In spite of his better judgment, Shadowblade responded, "No, I think I need to do this alone. You can stay and help the Rogues."  
  
"I don't understand. What about us?" He was in tears again. "And our love. You DID say you loved me!"  
  
"Well, sometimes even lovers don't get to stay together. You'd be better off here, anyway."  
  
"Why? We defeat demons and the undead together. What can a bunch of Zakarum followers do?"  
  
"They can TORMENT! They can KILL!" Shadowblade walked up to Horsham and grabbed him roughly. "I'll sell my soul to Diablo himself, if it means keeping vile Zakarum hands off you!"  
  
Tears were pouring from Horsham's eyes, and he spoke between sobs, "Tell me. . .your. . .secret."  
  
"It's better you don't know," Shadowblade said. "That way, it will be easier to move on from here." He held Horsham tightly, stroking his hair. "Your safety is my first priority. Now, let's get some sleep." Horsham nodded, and they went to the tent for the night. 


	14. Stony Field

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 13  
  
"Aliza, you've lived in this area longer than either of us has. Can you find the Stony Field?"  
  
She nodded. "Right this way." She led them along the wall, past the burial grounds. No one spoke, until they heard a lot of footsteps. They hesitated, and looked around the corner of a stone wall. There were twenty Rogues headed toward them, but these Rogues had white skin, paler than Horsham's, and sharp teeth. Five of them had clothes colored differently from the rest. "Corrupted!" yelled Aliza.  
  
The Rogues began to spread out, forming a semicircle in front of the three and their golem. Aliza was already firing arrows into the crowd, taking out two. The golem ran up to a Rogue and began punching her, while two others hit it with their weapons. Horsham fired dragon teeth and took out a third. Five came onto Shadowblade, and he dodged weapons while lashing out with his daggers. He caught one in the throat and another in the chest, but two more attacked. These two had different colors.  
  
As four more rogues advanced on Horsham, they passed near the one he'd killed. He detonated the corpse at that moment, and two of them died while the other two were wounded. He flew at them with his shield up, swinging at one's head while blocking a sword from the other. He suddenly cried out in pain as the sword came down again, into his leg. He knocked the sword aside and punched the Rogue in the face, then drove his mace into her chest, shattering her with the cold magic. He found a healing potion on the ground and quickly drank it. As he turned, he saw his golem crumble near a dead Rogue and two live ones. He quickly detonated the corpse as well, but they didn't seem to be as affected and they joined an assault against Aliza.  
  
Aliza was backpedaling from five Rogues, including three strangely colored ones. She shot an arrow at one of the different Rogues, but it only staggered, still alive. She then gasped. "Champions!" Horsham heard and understood immediately.  
  
Shadowblade took a tremendous blow to the back and leg from two mace- wielding Rogues and fell to the ground. Horsham ran over and started to attack, but one of the Rogues kicked him back several feet and returned to Shadowblade. Horsham got up and stood quietly, trying to meditate. It happened much faster than normal and he started to speak. "Strength drain like sap from a fallen tree, what once shattered rock now cannot tear silk."  
  
A sword flew to Shadowblade's leg, but it barely caused a cut. He kicked a Rogue with his injured leg, ignoring the pain, and ran away from them long enough to drink a healing potion, then ran back to them as they started to charge Horsham.  
  
Horsham then concentrated on the Rogues attacking Aliza and recited his amplify damage curse. "Shoot the Champions!" he yelled. "Before the curse wears off!"  
  
Aliza ran backward and fired at the Champion Rogues, killing the two that were already injured by Horsham's corpse explosion. One got close enough and knocked the bow from her hand, then hit her in the side with a mace. Aliza fell to the ground and started to crawl after her bow, but got kicked in the face, knocking her down again. She picked up a large rock and kicked the Rogues mace hand, knocking it aside. She slammed the rock into her knee and swept her down with a leg. While the Rogue was down, Aliza hit her again with the rock, then climbed on her back and snapped her neck. Her bow was still too far away, so she picked up the mace and stood to face the other two Rogues.  
  
Meanwhile, Horsham and Shadowblade faced the five. Shadowblade had had enough time to concentrate and diverted the light from the Rogues eyes. "We're invisible to them, but only for a few seconds! Attack now!" Shadowblade immediately ran to the nearest Rogue and drove his dagger into her chest while dodging a poorly aimed blow from another. Horsham attacked that Rogue and slammed his mace into her leg, kicked her down, and crushed her head. Shadowblade kicked a Champion in the chest and sent her sprawling. The invisibility then wore off.  
  
"We're visible again!" he yelled, as he quickly jumped on the fallen Champion to finish her off.  
  
As the other two approached Horsham, he cast his bone armor spell just in time to deflect the other Champion's mace, which shattered half of it. He stepped back a few feet and fired dragon teeth at both of them. The normal Rogue was injured, so he ran to her and finished her off, then pushed her at the Champion, detonating the corpse. The Champion was weakened, and he slammed the mace into her chest, then her neck.  
  
Horsham ran over to Shadowblade to check on him but was startled by Aliza's voice. "Excuse me! Did anyone forget about me?" She was limping in their direction, carrying her bow.  
  
"Not at all," said Shadowblade, and he threw a healing potion toward her. She drank it gratefully. "Well, now. That wasn't so tough. OUCH!" He rubbed his head, saw the empty potion bottle lying beside him, and looked at Aliza.  
  
"Next time, I'll get Horsham to cast his amplify damage curse first." She smirked at him and started walking toward another opening in the wall. "Stony Field, right this way."  
  
Shadowblade and Horsham started after her. As they passed into the Stony Field, rocks crackled beneath their feet. "Apt naming," said Horsham.  
  
"I remember an older Rogue once told me that the Sisters had wanted to plant crops here, but the stones made it impossible. I can see why," Aliza said. She then pointed at a natural rocky wall that rose very high. "The cave should be somewhere along that wall, so let's just follow it." They walked along the wall, looking for an opening.  
  
Shadowblade suddenly heard a noise. "What was that?" He listened closer. It sounded like something between a goat's bleat and a demon's call.  
  
"I can hear it too," Horsham said. "What is THAT?" Horsham was pointing outward.  
  
The other two turned to see seven creatures heading toward them. They had the heads and feet of goats but the bodies of humans. All were wielding polearms of sorts.  
  
Aliza immediately shot an arrow at one. The arrow embedded in its leg and it was shocked and chilled. Horsham fired a dragon tooth and it shattered.  
  
Shadowblade charged the crowd and one of the goat men came at him. It swung its polearm, but Shadowblade caught it with his daggers and turned to kick the creature in the chest, killing it with the energy blast.  
  
Horsham fired more teeth and hit one in the arm, causing it to drop a weapon. He immediately ran up and smashed it in the head with his mace, then blocked a swing with his shield, recited his poison incantation, and struck the goat man in the leg, drawing blood. He backed away, and it started to come after him but fell dead. Aliza shot another in the heart, and killed it. Shadowblade kicked another's polearm aside and slashed its throat.  
  
Horsham charged the last, firing dragon teeth, but as each tooth hit, bolts of lightning flew at Horsham. He cried out as each hit him and fell to the ground. The goat man barreled toward Horsham, and Shadowblade gashed it in the leg with a ranged strike, but lightning bolts hit him as well. Damn! He thought. The space warp works both ways. He thought of another technique he'd heard of before but never used. It was their best chance.  
  
The goat man had now turned its attention to Shadowblade, and he could see Aliza giving Horsham a healing potion. Shadowblade meditated and forced his bodily electricity through the air. The goat man started to sizzle and bolts flew out, but Shadowblade was far enough away to dodge them. As the goat man fell dead, Shadowblade ran to the other two.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked both. They nodded. "Then, let's continue."  
  
They moved along the wall, fighting off some goat men and skeletons along the way. In the distance, Horsham spotted a rock formation, with five long rocks positioned upright, along with a sixth nearby. Along with some Fallen Ones, but they were blue in color, except for one that was a bright green.  
  
"Shhh," said Aliza. "If we're quiet, we can avoid them. I think I see the cave opening up ahead."  
  
They moved quietly along the wall until they indeed came upon an opening. Shadowblade listened, and could hear nothing, so they went inside. 


	15. The Scroll Of Inifuss

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 14  
  
The three stepped into the cave and turned their light rings upward, surrounding themselves with a small radius of light. They spread out a bit and tried to find the way to go. Aliza saw a passageway. "Here," she said.  
  
They followed Aliza until they heard some noises. Shadowblade listened to discern where the noises were coming from, but he staggered when an arrow flew into his leg. "Ah!" he yelled and pulled out the arrow. He turned to see four skeletal archers, along with five unidentifiable beasts. As the beasts charged, Shadowblade heard Horsham's bone armor rise again.  
  
When the beasts got closer, Shadowblade could make out their form: ape-like bodies with large canine heads and disproportionately large mouths. "Hellhounds," he muttered, remembering an attack by such creatures upon his village when he was a child. "Horsham, go for the archers! Aliza, you and I, the beasts!"  
  
Horsham ran toward the archers, casting his amplify damage curse on the Hellhounds and his blinding curse on the archers.  
  
Aliza drew an arrow and fired it at the nearest Hellhound, striking the leg. It slowed down considerably but kept charging. She fired another and struck the head, killing it.  
  
Shadowblade ran to another and blocked a paw swipe with his left arm, giving the beast the opportunity to bite down on the arm. Shadowblade gritted his teeth and drove his kris into the beast's chest. It let go of his arm and ran several yards away before falling dead  
  
As Aliza aimed at the next beast, she gasped when an arrow struck her in the bow arm. The blinded skeletons were firing in random directions and one happened to hit her. As Horsham finished off an archer with a mace to the head, he yelled at his companions, "Watch out for stray arrows!" However, this sound enticed the skeletons to fire in his direction.  
  
An arrow hit Horsham in the arm, causing him to drop his mace. He picked up a rock and threw it to the side, throwing them off. He quietly backed away and fired a couple of dragon teeth at one of them. When the bones crumbled to the ground, he detonated both piles, felling the remaining two.  
  
One of the Hellhounds had been hit by bone fragments and started to charge Horsham. In spite of the pain, Aliza nocked an arrow and fired. The pain threw her aim off and it landed in the beast's side. It turned to Aliza and fired a glowing ball of energy, which knocked her back against the wall, with several broken bones and burns.  
  
Shadowblade had drunk a healing potion and ran toward them as the Hellhound readied another energy ball. He jumped in the air and delivered a flying kick to its injured side, then grabbed its head to finish it off with a psychic current. He threw another potion to Aliza.  
  
He turned to see Horsham facing another beast. It took a swipe at Horsham and he dodged it, then swung out with his mace. It blocked the swing, as Horsham wanted, leaving itself open to a shield bash in the side of the head. While it was stunned, Horsham slammed his mace into the same side and fired dragon teeth directly at its heart.  
  
However, it fell over on top of Horsham's leg, pinning him to the ground. As he tried to escape, the fifth beast took a swipe at his body, and burns suddenly covered Horsham's skin. Before it could take a second swipe, Shadowblade ran over and jammed his knife into its spine.  
  
He pulled the dead beast off of Horsham's leg. As Horsham got up, Shadowblade noticed the beast starting to shake and glow red faintly. "Why is it doing that?"  
  
Horsham looked and immediately grabbed Shadowblade's arm, running as fast as he could to Aliza. As he pulled his lover and pushed Aliza, bone fragments and energy flew in their direction. They flew away several feet, arms and legs cut by fragments.  
  
Groaning, Shadowblade asked, "Horsham, what happened?"  
  
"Remember the goat man that gave off bolts when attacked?" The other two nodded. "I couldn't quite understand why that was happening, but I knew I'd heard of something like that before. Then, when the other beast burned me, I remembered. That's how I knew it would explode."  
  
"I don't understand," said Aliza.  
  
"They're elementally enchanted," said Horsham. "Basically, their attacks deal fire, cold, or lightning damage. They also use their elemental abilities as a defense. The goat man was lighting enchanted, so he gave off bolts when attacked. The beast was fire enchanted, so it exploded when it died. Now, may I please have a healing potion?"  
  
Shadowblade jumped. "Of course. I'm sorry for not getting it to you already." He handed it to Horsham.  
  
Horsham gulped it down and sighed as the burns on his face and body disappeared. He looked up at Shadowblade. "Your turn. What was that energy ball the beast created."  
  
"They are called Hellhounds, and when they get badly injured, they resort to a lightning ball attack." He looked down and shook his head. "Andariel has really outdone herself."  
  
Aliza spoke up. "Well, the sooner we find Cain, the sooner we can put an end to all this. Shall we?" She headed on into the cave and the others followed.  
  
***  
  
Several Hellhounds, skeletal archers, and corrupted Rogues later, they came out into a forest. "The Dark Wood," said Aliza.  
  
All eyes scanned the forest, and all stopped on a white tree that seemed to glow with pure energy. "The Tree. . ." Horsham said.  
  
Shadowblade shook his head. "Can't be. Too easy."  
  
"Yes, it is," said Aliza. "It's called the Tree of Inifuss. I learned about it growing up in the Monastery. It can reveal many things, but only to those of pure intentions."  
  
"Our intentions are about as pure as intentions can be," said Shadowblade. He motioned toward the tree. "Let's get the scroll."  
  
As they headed toward the tree, he added. "But be careful. I still think it's too easy." His companions agreed.  
  
When they arrived at the tree, Shadowblade walked up to it and touched it. The tree began to glow and a rectangle of bark was outlined by a glowing white line. The bark slowly peeled off and fell to the ground, turning to paper and rolling up in the process.  
  
Horsham stepped over and picked it up. He turned it around in his hand twice and put it in his pack. They looked at each other and smiled, but their triumphant mood was dampened by a growl Shadowblade could recognize. 


	16. Rescuing Cain

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 15  
  
They turned to see four Wendigos barreling toward them, one with a greenish glow. "The cave!" yelled Horsham.  
  
"No," said Shadowblade. "It's too dark and cramped. We need more space to fight. Let's just stay here."  
  
The other two nodded. Horsham summoned his bone armor, Aliza readied an arrow, and Shadowblade drew his daggers.  
  
Aliza fired her arrow at one of them and hit it in the chest, but it kept coming. Surprisingly fast, it took another arrow, in the leg, before reaching Aliza to knock her backwards several yards. She landed with a thud, but had kept hold of her bow, and prepared another arrow, which hit the creature in the eye, felling it.  
  
Seeing this, Horsham cast his weaken curse to prevent them from doing too much damage. Immediately after doing this, he detonated the first corpse and charged a second beast, which was damaged by the explosion. He fired several teeth into its leg and arms, weakening it further, then smashed his mace into its forehead. It roared in pain and tried to slap him, but Horsham blocked it with his shield and delivered another mace blow to the side of its head. The beast struck again, shattering half of Horsham's bone armor. He cast the amplify damage curse and drove the mace into its chest, killing it. He himself, however, fell upon receiving a sharp two- handed blow that made it through the remainder of his bone armor to his back.  
  
Shadowblade had just received a backhanded slap that knocked him down and was getting back up. He dodged a fist, then summoned his strength into his right arm, directing it all into a stab to the beast's stomach. While it was stunned, he kicked it in the chest, releasing chi at the same time. Shadowblade then jumped in the air, drove a dagger into its forehead, and used it as leverage to flip himself up and over the beast. He landed to see Horsham receive a kick that knocked him several feet away and made him cough up blood. The beast, the green glowing one, appeared to be ignoring the arrows Aliza fired into its back.  
  
Damn! Thought Shadowblade. I can't get there in time. His emotional distress seemed to build inside his mind like a red ball of energy. Shadowblade envisioned it turning white, like when he fought the Fallen Ones the first time. However, this time, he directed it at the green Wendigo and shot the energy it like a dagger. The beast groaned loudly and stumbled backward several feet, as Shadowblade was already running in that direction. He came up behind it and drove his right-hand dagger into the base of the skull, up into the brain, with all his strength.  
  
When it hit the ground, a healing potion, two mana potions, and a sword fell. Shadowblade noticed the healing potion was larger than what he was used to seeing, and immediately administered it to Horsham. As Horsham began to breathe easier, Shadowblade stroked his hair. "Do you think you can get up?"  
  
"Yes," Horsham said, and he began to rise from the ground. "That's better. Now let's get out of here." He took out a town portal and opened it, and they returned to the encampment.  
  
When they stepped out, they headed to Akara's tent. Horsham took out the scroll and handed it to Akara. "We got it," he said. "Though I almost died at the hands of a glowing green Wendigo in the process."  
  
Akara, who had been looking at the scroll, bolted upright. "Did you say green?"  
  
Horsham nodded. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet." She continued to read the scroll, writing on it as she did. When she was finished, she handed it to Shadowblade. "Now, go back to the Stony Field, and look for a formation of rocks. Five in a circle, plus one on the outside."  
  
Shadowblade nodded. "We've already seen it. It's guarded by a bunch of Fallen Ones. These are blue, except for one, which is yellowish-green."  
  
Akara turned pale. "Okay, just fight them off and touch the stones in the order I have written. Be careful of the green one, it is lightning enchanted. Each stone has a special marking. Now, please hurry. And send in Kashya on your way out."  
  
They nodded and left the tent. Stopping at Kashya's post to send her to Akara, they returned to their portal and entered.  
  
The three came back out into the Dark Wood and returned to the cave, heading back to the Stony Field. They came out of the cave and saw the rock formation in the distance. "Let's get a bit closer," said Shadowblade. "I am going to see if I can take out the green one from a distance."  
  
They crept across the ground, getting closer and closer. In the process, they stepped on a stone slab, a waypoint. Shadowblade knelt down and touched it, magically lighting the fires on either side.  
  
As they got within twenty yards, Shadowblade whispered, "Stop. I can see them now. Just wait a minute." He concentrated on the green one, and killed it with a psychic energy attack.  
  
When it fell dead, the others started to screech and run around aimlessly. The three then charged the group. Horsham cast the amplify damage curse on them and started to fire teeth as Aliza fired arrows. The Fallen Ones were all dead before their assailants even arrived at the stones.  
  
Shadowblade took out the scroll and walked to the first stone, touching it. The symbol began to glow with an eerie blue light, and the other two stepped back. He then touched the other four and fell backward as lightning began to pour from the sky into center of the circle. A red portal opened above the center as the lightning stopped.  
  
"Tristram," mouthed Aliza. "Well, let's go."  
  
They approached the stones and stepped through the portal.  
  
The three arrived on the other side and looked at the smoldering remains of Tristram. "This could have been us," breathed Aliza. "And it still could be."  
  
"Let's just go find Cain," said Horsham. "And get out of here."  
  
The other two nodded, and they headed toward the heart of town. As they came to an opening between buildings, skeletons and goat men began to pour out. "Damn!" exclaimed Shadowblade. As Aliza began to fire at the monsters, Horsham cast the dim vision curse on them. Shadowblade ran into the fray and began to hack and slash at goat men while Horsham smashed skeletal skulls with his mace.  
  
Horsham felt his bone armor collapse and didn't feel spiritually strong enough to summon another one, so he stepped back and fired teeth. He then remembered he had a mana potion, which he drank. He also noticed that his curse was wearing off. "Lure them over here!" he yelled to Shadowblade. Shadowblade complied, and when several monsters had gathered near a couple of bone piles, Horsham detonated them.  
  
As several more fell dead, Shadowblade hacked more to pieces while Aliza shot the rest full of arrows. Then, they heard a yell, like that of an old man. "Help!" it sounded. They ran into the middle of the town to see an elderly man in a cage that was suspended from a pole. "Cain!" they all said at once.  
  
Shadowblade noticed gold scattered about the ground. "I'm the fastest, so you two release Cain while I collect this gold for us."  
  
As Shadowblade started picking up gold, Horsham and Aliza untied the rope and lowered the cage to the ground, then opened it. Cain opened his mouth to thank them, but Horsham interrupted. "Deckard Cain! If you value your life, leave this place immediately!"  
  
Just as Cain's portal disappeared, Shadowblade cried out. Horsham and Aliza turned to see Shadowblade on the ground receiving a kick from a gigantic zombie, dressed like a blacksmith. Horsham could sense a magical enchantment about Shadowblade and gasped when he figured out what it was. "Amplified damage!"  
  
Aliza's arrows did not hinder the zombie in the least. Horsham couldn't think of anything to do. He couldn't take it on in melee combat and his teeth weren't strong enough. Suddenly, he had an idea. He extended his hands toward the zombie and chanted. "Do unto others as you wish done unto thee, what you give out will return to you times three."  
  
As the zombie kicked Shadowblade again, it too fell back reeling. Horsham summoned his bone armor and ran to Shadowblade to give him a healing potion. As Shadowblade retreated to heal, Horsham stood to face the zombie. It punched at Horsham, shattering most of his bone armor. Again, it was hurt and stunned. Horsham slammed his mace into its skull. It advanced again and shattered the rest of the armor, hitting Horsham as well. He stumbled backward and got up, leading the now badly injured zombie back out of town. As he came upon a couple of corpses, he continued backward until the zombie was near them, then detonated. The zombie fell down and started to get back up, but was finished off by a barrage of teeth to his face.  
  
Horsham returned to the town, but his companions were nowhere in sight. He started to get worried until he saw them coming back. "Where did you go?" he asked.  
  
"Gold," they both said.  
  
"Fine," said Horsham. "Back to town, then?"  
  
They nodded and headed toward the portal. 


	17. Nothing Else to Do

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 16  
  
When they arrived on the other side of the portal, Cain was ravenously devouring bread and meat as Akara watched over him, with motherly concern.  
  
"Can't really blame him," murmured Shadowblade as they watched in a combination of awe and apathy.  
  
"I don't think you'll be talking to him anytime soon," came a voice from behind. The three turned to see Kashya. "He'll likely spend quite a few days resting and recovering. I mean, he needs it and everything, but every day spent resting is another day closer to Andariel's potential victory."  
  
"Always thinking about the battle, Kashya?" spoke up Horsham.  
  
"What would YOU know of true battle? You mages just stand there and cast spells while us warriors do the real work," she sneered.  
  
"Obviously, you've never seen a barrage of bone spears and corpse explosions. Or a frozen orb," he challenged. "Evidently, you didn't see the zombie I dispatched, either. Must have been a blacksmith in life. A muscular one at that."  
  
"Blacksmith?" Kashya's voice lowered to a whisper. "Griswold." Then, it raised again. "Fine, point taken." She headed off.  
  
"Congratulations on delivering a spectacular comeuppance!" said Shadowblade.  
  
"Her arrogance is really too much. I hope she never meets an Amazon; her ego would not survive." They both laughed.  
  
Shadowblade looked at Horsham and said, "Well, do you want to go explore the Rogue lands some more? Surely, we could find some nice treasures."  
  
"Why not?" he said. "Nothing else to do until Cain recovers. But let's not bother Aliza. Come along."  
  
They headed to the waypoint and teleported to the Stony Field.  
  
***  
  
Finally having made it to the waypoint in the Dark Wood, Horsham activated it. "Why didn't we think of this before?" he asked.  
  
"Because we were happy to have just survived fighting a band of corrupted Wendigos and only wanted to get back to camp."  
  
"Oh, yeah." Horsham peered into the distance and saw an opening in the wall. "Want to check it out?"  
  
"Sure." They both headed to the opening and found a much less wooded area. "This is nice, not so many trees."  
  
The two walked along the wall cautiously and saw a camp of twenty blue Fallen Ones and four Shamans, as well as five Corrupted Rogue archers. Both tensed up, but Horsham said, "Okay, we can do this. I just hope I have enough mana." He summoned a clay golem and cast on some of the monsters the curse he used against Griswold. He looked at Shadowblade. "Iron Maiden. The necromancer's curse of choice." Then, he looked at the monsters, and they ran toward the camp.  
  
Five Fallen Ones immediately set upon the golem and started hacking at it. As they did so, their own bodies became covered in wounds. Shadowblade saw a Shaman nearby and ran toward it, dodging three fire balls. He blocked a knife swipe with his dagger and kicked the Shaman in the face, only to be attacked by three Fallen Ones.  
  
As soon as two fell dead from the Iron Maiden, Horsham casted Amplify Damage on some more, and detonated the two corpses. Five more and an archer fell dead. Meanwhile, his golem sank to the ground as it lost its hold on life, and a fireball burned his arm. He raced to the Shaman, but staggered as an arrow embedded itself in his leg. Clenching his teeth, he pulled it out and, in one move, slammed his mace into the Shaman's shoulder and fired several teeth at the archer, killing her. He saw a Fallen One rise and immediately bashed the shaman in the head again, and it fell dead as five more Fallen Ones came his way.  
  
Shadowblade backpedaled a few steps and, in one motion, spun around slashing two in the throat. He blocked a sword from the third and embedded his dagger in its head. One of them rose back to life as he felt a deep cut on his shoulder. He turned and jammed his dagger into the Shaman's heart while kicking the revived Fallen One back a few feet. Then, he barely dodged two arrows from a pair of archers. Shadowblade refocused his mental energy, crippled the archers, and ran up behind them, thrusting both his daggers into their backs.  
  
The five Fallen Ones charged at Horsham, who dimmed their vision with a curse and summoned another golem. The two remaining Shamans resurrected two more Fallen Ones who joined their five blinded brothers as the curse wore off. They attacked the golem, and Horsham tried to cast Iron Maiden again, but he could not muster the mental energy, so he settled for Amplify Damage. One of the Fallen Ones was beaten to death by the golem as it crumbled. They turned their attention to Horsham, who stood at ready with his mace and shield brandished.  
  
The other four Fallen Ones came at Shadowblade as he tried to reach another Shaman. He fended off two attacks with a sword and a mace, and quickly used a ranged current on the Shaman.  
  
Horsham shield-bashed and struck the first two Fallen Ones that came at him, then cast Amplify Damage again. One of them died from the blow and dropped a mana potion, which Horsham grabbed and drank. He then detonated the corpse and watched four more fall, taking out the last two with his mace. He shot teeth at the Shaman and killed it. Horsham heard a cry, and turned to see an arrow in Shadowblade's side. 


	18. The Perilous Tower

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 17  
  
As the last archer prepared another arrow, Horsham started running toward her. He hurled his shield at her like a Frisbee, causing her to drop the bow, exploded a couple of corpses near the remaining Fallen Ones, and confronted the archer. She pulled a short sword and advanced on Horsham.  
  
His shield was too far to fetch, so he faced her with just a mace. She swung the sword toward him, and he blocked it with his mace, only to get punched in the stomach. Before he could recover, she knocked the mace out of his hand and swiped again, gashing his arm. As Horsham backed away, he tripped on a rock and fell backward.  
  
The archer kicked him in the side and started coughing. She kneeled beside him to deliver the fatal blow, but stopped as a strange feeling overtook her, and Horsham felt it too. She shook it off a split second later, but too late to avoid Horsham bashing her in the head with a rock. She dropped the short sword, which he picked up and jammed into her head.  
  
He immediately raced over to Shadowblade, noticing a blinded Fallen One crawling around. Horsham stabbed it in the back and knelt beside Shadowblade. He noticed the bloodied arrow lying on the ground next to them. "Here." Horsham poured a healing potion down his lover's throat. The blood started to pour out of the wound faster as it healed. He placed his hands over the wound to stop the blood flow. The flow got slower and slower until it stopped completely.  
  
Horsham gave Shadowblade a puzzled look as he sat up. "How did you keep from bleeding to death?"  
  
"Slowed my body's processes. Only lost a minimal amount," he replied. "That's another fundamental Slayer skill."  
  
"You're full of surprises." They shared a lengthy kiss. "Guess we almost lost each other there. Thank goodness someone cast Amplify Damage on that last archer." Suddenly, Horsham started. "Is someone else here?" He jumped up ready to fight, forgetting he'd had not drank a healing potion himself, and he winced in pain.  
  
As Horsham went for a healing potion, eyes scanning the landscape, Shadowblade spoke up. "It's okay. I cast it."  
  
"You? But you're not a necromancer?" Horsham looked puzzled.  
  
"No, but I have seen you do it enough times." He smiled and stood up. "I think I can go on now. Can you?"  
  
Horsham smirked. "Of course." He summoned a golem, and they set out.  
  
***  
  
They killed many more monsters, this time taking out the Shamans from afar before heading into the battle. Both had several items in their packs. Horsham had a ring, a wand, and a bundle of javelins and Shadowblade two amulets and a helm.  
  
Horsham was clearly becoming disgusted with the wet, rank ground. "I hate this place. I can't wait to get back to the camp."  
  
"Neither can I, but we both need to explore some more and get a feel for this place. I wonder what this area is called."  
  
Horsham scratched his head, thinking, then opened his eyes wide. "Black Marsh! Aliza told me about it. She says it is quite useless, not to mention a breeding ground for mosquitoes."  
  
"Apt name," said Shadowblade, looking out over the horizon. He saw a crumbling structure in the distance. "Let's go check it out." Horsham nodded and the team headed that way.  
  
It looked even more dilapidated up close. They cautiously stepped inside the structure, and Horsham just noticed the golem fall down a shaft. He peered closer and saw a ladder leading down. Looking up, he saw a gleam in Shadowblade's eye. "We're going down there, aren't we?" Shadowblade nodded, and stepped toward the ladder. He headed down into a dark room, turning his light ring in order to see what was there. There was nothing but a pitiful clump of twitching dirt.  
  
Horsham came down the ladder and looked at his golem, or what was left of it, shaking his head. He waved his hand and muttered a couple of words unknown to Shadowblade, and the golem rose up into its original form.  
  
They looked around the room and saw a hole in the wall. Horsham advanced toward it, and turned back to look at Shadowblade. "I already know we're going in, so come along." Shadowblade and the golem followed.  
  
The hole lead into a dark stone room, illuminated only by their light. The three paced cautiously forward and saw a few barrels. Horsham shattered three, the last of which exploded, singing his hair and burning his face, so he quickly downed a healing potion. "You never get used to it," he said.  
  
Suddenly, Horsham felt several supernatural, undead presences getting closer and closer. "Shadow," he whispered. "Conserve your mana, and whatever you do, don't let them touch you."  
  
"What is it?" Shadowblade asked.  
  
"Wraiths. Malevolent ghosts that attach to human remains. They feed off the spiritual energy of the living. Try to damage the physical parts. And get ready!" Horsham jumped into fighting position, brandishing his mace and shield. His companions followed suit.  
  
Six floating entities came into the room, nothing more than heads, arms, and torsos that dwindled into slivers of protoplasm. The golem immediately charged them, and they started slashing with skeletal hands and biting. Horsham cast Iron Maiden, and they started to suffer damage for several seconds before the golem collapsed.  
  
The wraiths immediately started for the two young men. As one came at Shadowblade, he dodged two bony arms and kicked the skull. The lower jaw fell off, but it kept advancing. He ran backwards a few feet and charged up another kick with spiritual energy. When the wraith came close enough, Shadowblade foot connected with the skull, shattering it.  
  
Three approached Horsham, and he surprised the first by darting forward and smashing one's skull. He paid dearly, though, as the other two put both hands on him and drained his energy. He sank to the ground as his spiritual fortitude left him.  
  
Shadowblade delivered a concentrated strike to another wraith's spine, feeling a slight draining effect as a hand brushed him. He shook it off and ran over to Horsham, quickly kicking the two wraiths in their heads long enough for Horsham to crawl away and drink a mana potion.  
  
Horsham stood up quickly and pulled Shadowblade over to his two wraith corpses. The three remaining ones approached them, and Horsham detonated the corpses. One was left floating, and Shadowblade shattered the remainder of the skull with a dagger strike.  
  
***  
  
After they made it down four floors, having slaughtered more wraiths, goatmen, and archers, they came upon a fifth. They were immediately assaulted by seven more goatmen, one of which had bluish fur, all armed with pole arms. Horsham managed to summon another golem as the fight began.  
  
Four, including the bluish one, started to hack at the golem. All seemed stronger than normal goatmen.  
  
Horsham blocked a swipe from one and slammed his mace into its knee. As it went down in pain, two bashes to the head ended its life. He cast Amplify Damage on the crowd, giving a second goatman time to slash his leg. He limped away as the goatman advanced, pulling out a healing potion, which the goatman knocked aside. The goatman prepared another strike but suddenly started to jerk and smoke came from his ears, giving Horsham time enough to drink his potion as it fell dead.  
  
Shadowblade turned back to his own attacker as soon as he knew Horsham was safe. He caught a pole arm with his daggers and kicked the goatman in the stomach. In the next second, he slashed it's throat and turned his attention to the blue one.  
  
Horsham noticed the blue goatman strike the golem and chill it. He realized it was cold enchanted. Before he could think of anything else, the golem shattered and three goatmen came at him. He could feel his curse starting to wear off, so he started to attack one of them.  
  
When the golem shattered, Shadowblade immediately engaged the blue goatman. He rushed forward, dodging a swipe with the pole arm, and jammed one dagger into the goatman's shoulder joint, then stepped back and kicked the dagger hilt. The goatman tried to attack with one hand, but Shadowblade was quicker and snapped the pole with a sharp blow. He pulled out his dagger and kicked the goatman again, stunning it, and he prepared his death blow.  
  
Horsham saw this and forgot about the goatmen for a second. He realized what would happen when the blue goatman died. "No! Don't! Not yet!" But it was too late as Shadowblade drove his dagger into its heart. As the corpse fell to the ground, it started to glow blue and shake. "Move now!"  
  
A nova of pure blue energy burst from the corpse, passing over both Shadowblade and Horsham. 


	19. Countess of Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 18  
  
Both immediately felt cold to the bone and could hardly move. The goatmen started to grin evilly, and two advanced on Shadowblade and the third on Horsham.  
  
Horsham weakly prepared for the assault. As the pole arm came down, he just managed to move the shield into position and block it. He felt the full strength of it. Immediately, another blow came down, and hurt his arm even more.  
  
Shadowblade was not faring much better. He still managed to dodge a few blows, but a blade caught his arm, and he nearly dropped a dagger. He tried to prepare a ranged current, but the cold impaired his mental ability.  
  
Horsham started to weaken more. He managed to weaken his attacker, and he could take the blows and block them a bit better. He summoned some teeth and shot them at the goatman, backing away as he did. The teeth seemed to have little effect until he managed to hit the throat, at which point the goatman fell over, and a potion fell out of its belt. Horsham picked it up, and it was a thawing potion. He drank half and felt his strength come back. He dimmed the vision of the two remaining goatmen and threw Shadowblade the other half of the potion. "Drink!" ordered Horsham.  
  
He did so and felt most of the cold lift. Shadowblade did not hesitate in driving his daggers into the heads of the goatmen.  
  
The two made their way over to each other and shared a healing potion. "And THAT," said Horsham, "is a cold enchanted monster." Shadowblade nodded, and headed toward an adjacent room, cautiously.  
  
Horsham followed, and they came upon scattered gold coins. They immediately began to collect it, and checked the chests too. They then moved to the room across the way and collected the gold there too.  
  
When they were done, they came out into the open area once more and headed into one of the back rooms. Shadowblade stopped Horsham because he heard some noises. Familiar noises. "I think it's Corrupted Rogues."  
  
"I hope they're not archers," moaned Horsham as he prepared another golem.  
  
They stepped forward cautiously, and Shadowblade reached out with his mind. "Eleven, I think." He focused more closely. "One appears to be alive, but seems to have undead energy. I can feel centuries of age."  
  
Horsham squinted his eyes. "I think I know something, but I can't put my finger on it. I think I know something about such a creature." He looked thoughtful. "Can you feel how strong it is?"  
  
Shadowblade reached out further. His eyes opened wide. "Pretty strong."  
  
They shuddered slightly but started to move ahead. Horsham sent his golem into the room to scout it. He closed his eyes and tried to see what the golem saw. It was really gray and fuzzy, but he could make out several shapes advancing on the golem, and he willed it into the room.  
  
The golem was being pursued by ten Corrupted Rogues with short swords and maces. Horsham cast Iron Maiden on the Rogues and willed the golem to stop. He and Shadowblade advanced on the crowd and began to attack.  
  
One Rogue took a slash at Shadowblade, and he blocked the sword with his daggers, delivering two rapid kicks and slashing her throat. Two others were weakening from the Iron Maiden, and Horsham crushed their skulls with his mace. He cast Amplify Damage on the rest, and detonated the corpses. Only two were left standing, and Shadowblade quickly dispatched them.  
  
Suddenly, a chilling feminine, demonic voice filled the room. "Your blood will boil!"  
  
"Just get ready," Shadowblade cautioned.  
  
They rushed into the room and were charged by a tall Rogue-like woman with an axe. Both jumped aside as she swung the blade. "Care for a blood bath?" she taunted.  
  
The demonic woman looked at both of them and decided to go for the most dangerous-looking one first. She rushed at Shadowblade and took a swing at him; he managed to dodge, but she was surprisingly quick and delivered another one. He caught it with his daggers, but the sheer strength of the blow brought him to his knees. She quickly kicked him in the side, and knocked him down. He felt his flesh scorched at the blow.  
  
Horsham returned to the room from dragging in a Rogue corpse. He cast Amplify Damage on the woman and shot teeth at her back. Though not subdued, Horsham caught her attention, and she advanced on him. When she got close enough to the corpse, he detonated it. While she was stunned and in pain, he slammed his mace into her shoulder twice, breaking it. She took the whole axe in the other hand and attacked again. Her blows landed on Horsham's shield, but the strength cause his arm to ache.  
  
Suddenly, the axe flew from the woman's hand, and she and Horsham noticed Shadowblade having completed a kick. She made a dive for the axe, but Shadowblade ran up and kicked her again, releasing a substantial amount of energy at the time. She quickly recovered, and attacked him bare-fisted.  
  
Horsham joined in the fight and slammed his mace into her spine. She staggered, but kicked him in the stomach, burning and stunning him. She tried to punch Shadowblade, but he dodged and kicked her again, then delivered a concentrated strike.  
  
Horsham shot teeth into her leg after drinking a healing potion. The stunning effect of the strike and distraction of the teeth gave Shadowblade an opportunity to drive his dagger into her throat and jerk it hard enough to sever the jugulars.  
  
This time, both of them knew what was about to happen. They ran to the other side of the room as the corpse exploded.  
  
A ghostly cloud rose from the corpse, and it sounded like a windstorm. The cloud floated over to a chest near the back of the room and was sucked into it. The top of the chest flew open and there was an eruption of gold and other items.  
  
Shadowblade and Horsham cautiously approached the loot and started to pick it up. They only took the gold and some larger healing, mana, and rejuvenation potions. When their packs were full, they took a portal back to town rather than go out to search for a waypoint. 


	20. The Task at Hand

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 19  
  
Kashya was the first to notice Shadowblade and Horsham as they re-entered the camp. "What happened to you? You look like you just fought an army."  
  
"Might as well have," muttered Horsham.  
  
She came on over as they emptied their gold into their stashes. "Where did you get all that?"  
  
Shadowblade looked at her. "Some forgotten tower in the Black Marsh. It had its share of monsters."  
  
Kashya jumped in surprise. "Tower?" She looked apprehensive. "What did this tower look like and what kind of 'monsters' were in there?"  
  
Horsham looked thoughtful. "Well, there was a crumbling top piece, and a ladder leading into a small room, which led into the depths of the building. The main monsters were wraiths, goatmen, Corrupted Rogues, and . . . oh yeah, this really strong woman with an axe. Shadowblade says she was centuries old, but oh well. We managed to kill all the monsters."  
  
Kashya's mouth dropped open and it took her several seconds to regain her composure. "The Countess! You killed the Countess???"  
  
"Yes, if that's what she is, well was, called. And it was pretty tough, too," Shadowblade answered.  
  
"You're not kidding! No one has fought her and won yet! You'll both be cheered when word of this gets out." She could hardly contain herself.  
  
"Why?" asked Horsham. "What's the story about this Countess?"  
  
"Come over here," Kashya led the two into a secluded corner of the encampment. She started speaking in a whisper. "We never repeat this story in the presence of the younger Rogues. Akara, Charsi, Flavie, and myself are the only ones here that know of it."  
  
"Go on." Shadowblade urged.  
  
Kashya swallowed. "Centuries ago, there was an evil Countess that lived in these parts. She was greedy, vain, and brutal. She collected heavy taxes from her people, nearly driving them into starvation while she basked in luxury. The worst part is, she was so obsessed with her own beauty, that she had a hundred virgin women slaughtered and bathed in their blood." Even Horsham started to look sick. "Yes, I suppose dried bones are not as scary . . . Anyway, the families of the young women aroused the villagers, who took up arms and stormed her tower, overtaking even her powerful guards in their bloodlust. They were set to slaughter the Countess by tearing her from limb to limb, but one of the fathers had a different idea. He convinced his fellow villagers to seal the entrance to the tower depths so that she would starve or suffocate. Though they could not find the money she had collected from them over the years, they were determined to rebuild their lives. However, the land turned wet and diseased, and most of the villagers died. It was said that the Countess still lived, too evil to enter Heaven . . . or Hell, for that matter."  
  
The two stared at Kashya in wonder. "By the light . . ." gasped Shadowblade. "But I didn't see a seal."  
  
Kashya replied, "Must have disintegrated over time, and perhaps time drove the Countess to forget that there even was an outside world. No doubt Andariel's minions craved the darkness . . ." She shook her head. "Enough of this! Cain is ready to see both of you."  
  
She led them to the center of the camp, where Cain was standing. He greeted them in an elderly, but wise voice. "Thank you for rescuing me. In return for your heroism and risk, I will identify any magical items you may find for free." He turned his eyes down. "I was unable to prevent the disaster at Tristram, but I hope I can help the Rogues fight the evil here."  
  
Shadowblade looked at him. "I have no doubt you will. I am glad to have had the chance and the pleasure to rescue you before leaving this place."  
  
Kashya snorted. "Going? Going where?"  
  
"Kurast."  
  
Warriv spoke up, chuckling. "No one will be headed that way. The way is closed thanks to Andariel and her takeover in the monastery."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's right," said Kashya. "No one will be able to pass through there until Andariel is defeated."  
  
"You can't . . ." began Shadowblade.  
  
"Oh, we won't stand in your way, if you want to try it. But don't expect to make it out of there alive!"  
  
Shadowblade looked thoughtful, sitting down on the ground. Horsham sat next to him and stroked his hair. A man nearby snorted, and started to say something, only to be silenced by a swift blow to the stomach by Aliza.  
  
Suddenly, Shadowblade stood up. "Then I'll defeat Andariel!"  
  
Kashya burst out laughing, then immediately regained composure. "You? Andariel will slaughter you like a child!"  
  
"Now, Kashya, we have Cain, and he surely knows plenty about the Evils. At least how to destroy them."  
  
"Whole assaults have fallen to Andariel alone! Imagine what she can do with her minions by her side!"  
  
"The Lord of Terror fell to a mortal warrior! There's no reason a mortal cannot defeat a Lesser Evil. It just takes skill and cunning," Shadowblade insisted.  
  
Kashya's expression softened. "True . . . and you've survived a lot longer than I ever expected you to. Have at it! Every one of us would love to see her dead, so we'll offer our assistance." With that, she walked away, and the crowd dispersed.  
  
Horsham and Aliza approached Shadowblade. "As always, we're on your side," said Aliza. Horsham placed an arm around Shadowblade's shoulder.  
  
They noticed one person left: Charsi. She looked rather sheepish. "I need to ask you a favor."  
  
"Yes?" said Horsham.  
  
"When we fled Andariel's invasion, I left behind my enchanted hammer, the Horadric Malus. With the hammer, I was able to magically imbue gear and weapons. If we could get it back, we could have much better weaponry."  
  
"Of course we'll fetch it," said Shadowblade. "That malus could hold the key to defeating Andariel."  
  
"Thank you," said Charsi. Her face then turned grim. "However, there is a malevolent monster that guards the malus. It is very huge and strong and has been known to kill several with one blow. Do not underestimate it."  
  
The three heroes nodded, and Charsi left.  
  
***  
  
Late that night, as Horsham and Shadowblade slept, the latter sat up screaming in pain and fell back down, his eyes closed and his face contorted in a mask of pain. Horsham tried to wake him, but to no avail. He listened to Shadowblade's pulse, and he was quite alive, just unable to wake up. And, Horsham could feel an evil presence around his lover. 


	21. Evil Visions

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 20  
  
The evil presence chilled Horsham to the bone. He felt an immediate antipathy to the room around him and wanted to flee, but he knew he must figure out what was happening. Horsham decided to use his evil detection ability. It would be dangerous because it carried a risk of corruption if one was careless, but he felt he could do it properly.  
  
Horsham placed a hand on Shadowblade's forehead and guided himself into a trance-like state, muttering arcane sounds. He felt his mind open up and could feel evil. As his mind opened, the evil presence touched him more strongly and seemed clearer, bit by bit. After a minute, he could sense demonic energy and felt the need to disengage, but his will failed him. The evil became stronger and clearer, and he could sense its malevolence. Horsham started to shiver and his pulse quickened. In spite of himself, he drew closer to the presence and his body temperature started to fluctuate, bordering on dangerously, up one second and down the next. Sweat dripped from his head and neck. The presence seemed to grow stronger, faster and faster and faster.  
  
Suddenly, in one moment, Horsham saw a pair of evil-looking eyes, heard a piercing scream, smelled burning flesh, and felt a combination of infinitely strong anguish, terror, pain, and nothingness.  
  
Horsham swiftly got up and dashed away as quickly as possible, tripping over a sack. He was almost unable to get up in his mad, frantic scrambling. Sweat poured from his body. He fled the tent, and headed immediately for a wall, clawing and trying to climb over it. He clawed and clawed until his fingers were bleeding. Before his energy was spent, he screamed, "THERE IS NO SALVATION! NOOOOO!!!!!"  
  
He fell to the ground, conscious, but without the will to move.  
  
The camp awoke at the noise, Cain and Akara came over to see what had happened to him.  
  
Cain kneeled on the ground next to Horsham and looked at his body. Cain felt his forehead, looked into his eyes, and examined his fingers. He could see that Horsham was alive and conscious but immobile. "Akara, please attend to his fingers," Cain implored, and he stood up and paced the ground while Akara healed Horsham.  
  
He then pulled an amulet off his neck and dropped it into Horsham's hand. Horsham squeezed it really hard, until his hand started to bleed. Cain kneeled again and tried to remove it, but the grip was too strong. "Charsi!" yelled Cain. "I need your help!"  
  
Charsi came over and looked at Cain. "Please pry his hand open so I may remove the amulet," he said. Charsi took hold of Horsham's hand and pulled his fingers off the amulet, but not without a struggle. Cain removed the amulet and stood once more.  
  
"Just as I feared," he said. "It was a demonic encounter."  
  
Kashya immediately stood in front of Cain. "He's possessed???"  
  
"No, quite the opposite. You see, this amulet bears a symbol of the Light. Horsham was so affected by this encounter that he craves the Light with every ounce of his being, to stave off the evil. Obviously, he was filled with unnamable terror and despair."  
  
"Okay," said Kashya. "So now what?"  
  
"We revive him. Or rather, I revive him," Cain replied. He stood next to Horsham and inscribed symbols in the air above his body, repeating prayers under his breath. Horsham's body started to shake, until he jerked and sat up abruptly.  
  
"What was that?" he screamed. "What happened?"  
  
Cain explained, "You had a demonic encounter. How, I do not know. Shadowblade must be . . ."  
  
"Wait!" yelled Kashya. "Why isn't Shadowblade out here? That scream would have woken anyone!"  
  
"Shadow!" yelled Horsham. "Something's happened to him! Something terrible! We have to help him! We have to!"  
  
"Slow down," pleaded Akara. "Just tell us what is going on. What you know, anyway."  
  
"Well," began Horsham. "Shadow suddenly woke up and screamed, and fell back down unconscious. I could not wake him, and I felt an evil presence. I tried to let myself feel and see the evil, using a basic necromantic evil detection rite, and my body went out of control as the presence grew stronger, and finally, my senses were inundated with horror."  
  
"Oh, no . . ." began Cain. "Please, Heaven, do not let it be so. To the tent now!"  
  
Everyone followed Cain to the tent. He knelt down, and placed his hand on Shadowblade's forehead.  
  
"Don't do it!" yelled Horsham. "It's too dangerous."  
  
Cain shook his head. "I know these evil forces and do not fear them." Cain continued his ritual and his brow furrowed as his other hand shook. He opened his eyes and looked up. "Andariel."  
  
"Andariel? What?" demanded Horsham.  
  
Cain looked at him sadly. "How do I explain this? She has a hold on him. She has found some pain inside him and amplified it to the point of incapacitating him. Andariel must have figured out the risk you and Shadowblade posed to her, so she is determined to stop you."  
  
"How do we bring him back?"  
  
"The best way would be to pinpoint the source of his pain and use the knowledge to render it useless to Andariel."  
  
Horsham moaned. "If only he had told me his secret . . ."  
  
"Secret?"  
  
"Yes," said Horsham. "I found out early on that he has some deep and dark secret that he refuses to share. That has to be what Andariel is using. But I do not know the secret, and I cannot mind-read. Is there any other way to end this?"  
  
Cain turned grim and looked him in the eye. "Kill Andariel."  
  
"I have to face Andariel? Alone?" he asked.  
  
"Not alone," said Aliza.  
  
Horsham smiled at her. "But still, he is our best fighter. I do not know if we could do it without him . . ."  
  
"Without the knowledge of his secret, it is the only way," Cain solemnly told him.  
  
Horsham looked at Shadowblade, then out the tent into the darkness. He turned and stared Cain in the eye. "Then Andariel shall die." 


	22. Bones

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.  
  
Avenging Heart Chapter 21  
  
The next morning, Aliza joined Horsham at the waypoint and looked toward him. "I really hope we know what we're doing," she said.  
  
"We do," Horsham replied. "Besides, it's our best chance. We can't make it through with Andariel alive, and she's bound to win at this rate. At least now, we stand a chance to turn the tides."  
  
They both took a deep breath and teleported to the Dark Wood. Aliza said to Horsham, "You really should have looked for the waypoint in the Black Marsh."  
  
"You're right." He observed the landscape. "Well, let's head to the monastery." Before they started walking, Horsham stared at the ground and held out his hands. He muttered the golem incantation, concentrating harder than ever before, in hopes that it could be a bit stronger this time. The ground started to move before him, and sweat poured down his face. Suddenly, it rose into the shape of a golem, and Horsham collapsed.  
  
Aliza ran up to him. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, it just took more energy than I'm used to expending. And I'm not done yet." Horsham stood up and summoned a bone armor around himself. He stood there for a moment, dazed, before moving on.  
  
***  
  
The three headed out of the Dark Wood and through the Black Marsh, making short work of any monsters or beasts that attacked them. As soon as they saw a waypoint, Horsham wasted no time in activating it. "If only me and Shadow had taken the time to do this when we were here before, we could have saved a lot of time."  
  
"Look on the bright side," said Aliza. "We have all this neat stuff." She gestured to her pack. Horsham smiled at her, and then noticed an opening in the wall.  
  
"Where does that lead?" he asked.  
  
"I'm glad you asked. That's the Tamoe Highland, the region surrounding the monastery, so we had better be on guard."  
  
"Right," said Horsham.  
  
They cautiously approached the opening and passed through it. Everything looked normal, so they moved forward. They paced in the direction of the monastery, constantly checking in all directions. Horsham heard a piercing sound next to him and saw an arrow sticking in his golem's leg. He looked around and saw five skeletal archers in the distance.  
  
"Down!" he yelled. He and Aliza hit the ground in time to miss a barrage of arrows. As the archers prepared their arrows again, the golem charged them. Horsham watched as the arrows peppered it. When it reached the archers, Horsham cast Amplify Damage and allowed the golem to beat on the skeletons while he and Aliza arose.  
  
Aliza immediately fired an arrow into one's skull and aimed for another. Horsham charged the monsters as well, firing teeth. Two fell from Aliza and Horsham's attacks, and a third from the golem's. As the golem fell to the ground, Horsham bashed another archers skull while Aliza's arrow lodged in the fifth archer's ribcage.  
  
Immediately, several charged bolts flew from the bones and knocked Horsham several feet away. Aliza stopped in shock, but Horsham yelled, "Keep firing!"  
  
She did so and more bolts flew. Horsham managed to dodge them, except for a few which caused him considerable pain. Finally, one arrow hit the skull, and the bones fell to the ground. The archer dropped a few potions, and Horsham gulped a healing potion, sighing as his burns healed.  
  
He got up a minute later and motioned to Aliza to go on.  
  
Not a few minutes later, they were accosted by more skeletons, but thankfully not archers. They didn't even have weapons, which puzzled both Horsham and Aliza.  
  
There were about seven of them, and they stopped thirty feet away from the pair. Horsham wondered what was going on until they raised their arms over their heads and thrust them forward, releasing a barrage of fire bolts.  
  
Horsham and Aliza jumped to the side to avoid them, but one caught Aliza in the arm. She grunted in pain, but managed to take down two with her arrows. Horsham took down two more with teeth and charged the last three monsters, blocking firebolts with his shield. He smashed one's skull with his mace, and it dropped a healing potion, which he threw to Aliza. She gulped it and took down another skeleton with an arrow, leaving the last for Horsham to take down.  
  
"WHAT were those things?" Aliza demanded.  
  
"Skeletal mages," replied Horsham. "More advanced than normal skeletons, they actually have rudimentary spell-casting ability. Fortunately, it is never anything more substantial than bolts of fire, ice, lightning, or poison." A look suddenly came over his face. "You know, I can summon mages as well."  
  
"Oh, please don't," begged Aliza. "I HATE them!"  
  
Horsham looked at her. "It could make our task easier. We don't have Shadow this time, and we need all the help we can get." He then made it personal. "Don't you want to regain the monastery?"  
  
She looked at him and said, "That's not f." Aliza trailed off and looked in the direction of the monastery, then back at her companion. "All right. Summon them."  
  
Horsham pulled out a vial of poisonous liquid and opened it. He began to drizzle it over three corpses while chanting, "Magical spirits, I call you forth. Enter these bones and heed my will." The bones began to vibrate until they abruptly rose and returned to skeletal form, with fists glowing with a green aura.  
  
"There," Horsham said. "Now, we should be in good shape. At least as good as one can get here."  
  
"We're about to find out," said Aliza, and Horsham turned to see a group of eight bluish rogues approaching them, wielding axes and maces. He quickly summoned a golem and entered fighting position.  
  
The golem ran toward the rogues, and four immediately set upon it, while the others advanced on Horsham and Aliza. Horsham cast Iron Maiden on the rogues attacking the golem. Aliza fired an arrow and caught of one the rogues in the head, while the mages began pelting the other three with poison bolts.  
  
Horsham shot teeth in the face of one, killing her, and the other two attacked him. One swung a mace, and he caught it on his shield and bashed her in the leg. As she went down, he smashed her skull and blocked the axe of another one. However, she shield-bashed him, knocking him down. As she went in for the kill, an arrow hit her in the back.  
  
The other four rogues, wounded from attacking the now-destroyed golem, advanced on them, only to receive a barrage of poison bolts. Already weakened from the Iron Maiden's consequences, the poison alone finished them off.  
  
"Damn!" exclaimed Aliza. "They DO come in handy."  
  
They continued toward the monastery  
  
***  
  
Soon, Horsham, Aliza, two mages (one was destroyed by a rogue), and a golem stood in front of the entrance to the monastery. Suddenly, the doors burst open.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Well, I can certainly say there is a tremendous lack of output on here lately. Hope I can jumpstart something. 


	23. Interlude

Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo II, its concepts, or anything else related to it. Those are the property of Blizzard Entertainment.

Avenging Heart

**Interlude**

_Sometimes I feel as if you're so close_

_I can almost breathe in your smell just thinking of you_

_But now you're too far away_

_And even if I'm right beside you_

_Can touch you but not reach you _

_No matter how much I may try_

_And now I'm just hurting_

_And I don't know what do do_

_And if only you were here_

_I just know you could make it all better_

_The thought of you pervades all my senses_

_And my heart and my soul_

_And I somehow find it within me _

_To go on_

_If only for the joy of feeling you_

_Your strong, protective arms_

_Your tender, warming caress_

_Your deep and boundless love_

_Feeling them all once more_

_By your side_

_In your heart_

_And you in mine_

**Okay, so it's not much of an update, but after a nearly five-year break, it's better than nothing:-)**


End file.
